Radiation Therapy

How Long Does The Radiation Treatment Take?

For most cancers, external radiation therapy is given four or five days a week for five to seven weeks. Taking two or three days off a week helps normal cells to recover. The course of treatment is shorter for palliative care and usually lasts two to three weeks.

Research has shown that giving many smaller doses of radiation is better than a few large doses. The treatment is as effective and damage to healthy tissues is reduced. Radiation is usually given once daily, but sometimes the daily dose is divided into two or more sessions. This is called fractionated radiation therapy.

Sometimes, treatment is split into two groups of sessions, with a week or two off in the middle.