Our radiotherapy department delivers around 40,000 treatments each year and has a strong national and international reputation as a leading centre in the delivery of cutting-edge radiotherapy, to provide the best treatments and results for patients.
What is radiotherapy and how does it work?
Radiotherapy is the use of high energy x-rays for therapeutic purposes, this is used primarily for cancer treatment, but it does have other uses. It can be given both externally using a machine called a linear accelerator, or internally by placing a radioactive material inside the body.
Radiotherapy works by damaging the DNA of cancer cells in the targeted area, this results in the cells dying off. Normal cells may also be damaged during the treatment process, but unlike cancer cells that cannot repair themselves after treatment, normal cells can.
Radiotherapy can be given as a stand-alone treatment or in combination with other treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy and brachytherapy. Your treatment plan will depend on your individual diagnosis and situation.
Radiotherapy at James Cook video
This video is for patients, and their families and carers, who will be coming for radiotherapy at The James Cook University Hospital.
The video provides all of the information you will need to know before coming for your first appointment and will hopefully help to reduce anxiety as you will know how to get to the department, what to expect and who you will meet.
Our department
The radiotherapy department at the James Cook Cancer Institute provides around 40,000 treatments a year to patients across Teesside and beyond. The department is split into two sections, the main building and the stand-alone Endeavour Unit.
All six of the department’s linear accelerators are matched, meaning patients can be easily transferred from machine to machine if required.
The department also has some additional equipment that may be used if required for your specific treatment, such as Catalyst (for surface guided treatments) and Clarity (for some prostate treatments).
Treatment at The James Cook Cancer Institute
The department is technically advanced and provides 2D, 3D and 4D image guided radiotherapy (IGRT). It provides one of the highest rates intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) in the country and after being one of the first to provide stereotactic treatments in the UK now provides a established advanced SABR service covering multiple treatment sites.
As a active research centre, the department prides itself on access to clinical trials and in 2024 received recognition for recruiting the 100th patient to the PACE Nodes trial.
Who will I see?
You may encounter a number of different professionals during your treatment pathway, these include (but are not limited to):
- Consultant clinical and medical oncologists
- Consultant radiographers
- Advanced clinical practitioners
- Review specialist radiographers
- Therapeutic radiographers
- Mould room technicians
- Physicists
- Dosimetrists
- Radiotherapy engineers
Learn more about their specific roles in the radiotherapy treatment section of the website.