Will radiation therapy make me radioactive?

No, external beam radiation therapy does not make you radioactive. This is one of the most common worries people have before starting treatment, and it is a myth worth clearing up early. During a session, a machine aims radiation at one part of your body from outside. That takes a short time, usually one to five minutes. A therapist watches you from another room and can stop the machine at any point.

The radiation comes from a machine outside your body rather than from something placed inside you. So it does not linger in your body, and you are not a radiation risk to the people around you. You can safely be around other people after your sessions, including pregnant women and children, with no special precautions.

You also won't feel, hear, see, or smell the radiation itself. You will hear and see the machine moving around you as it works. If you have questions about your own situation, your radiation therapy team can walk you through what to expect.