Does the machine touch me during external beam radiation?

During external beam radiation therapy, the machine does not touch you. According to the National Cancer Institute, external beam radiation therapy comes from a machine that aims radiation at your cancer. The machine is large and may be noisy. It does not touch you, but it can move around you, sending radiation to a part of your body from many directions.

External beam radiation is a local treatment, which means it treats only a specific part of your body. For example, if you have cancer in your lung, you will have radiation only to your chest, not to your whole body.

Radiation therapy can cause side effects because it can affect nearby healthy cells as well as cancer cells. Your healthcare team can tell you what to expect during your treatment sessions and how to manage any side effects.