Breast cancer radiotherapy

Radiotherapy is a local treatment that uses high-energy X-rays to kill cancer cells.

Your cancer team at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will have referred you to the doctors in Leeds that offer radiotherapy, if this is the treatment you have been offered and have accepted.

They are called Clinical Oncologists. Your course of treatment will usually last 1-4 weeks and is given on weekdays as an outpatient treatment at Leeds Cancer Centre, Bexley Wing, St James’s Hospital, Leeds, LS9 7TF.

General information

Contacting the radiotherapy team

The Leeds team can be contacted by using the contacts below:

  • For appointments and general enquiries, you can call main radiotherapy reception 0113 206 8940
  • For advice regarding your radiotherapy or side effects call 0113 206 7587 Princess Royal Suite
  • For radiotherapy support and information call Leeds Cancer Support Radiotherapy Information Lounge on 0113 206 7603
Who will tell you more about radiotherapy

If you require radiotherapy treatment the breast team at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will arrange for you to see the clinical oncology team in Leeds. The clinical oncology team are experts who specialise in the delivery of cancer treatment using high energy x-rays – radiotherapy. They will discuss your individual treatment and your personal needs.

These appointments are frequently arranged as a telephone consultation, and you can use a speaker phone facility if you would like someone to support you with this discussion. If your first language is not English, please ask the breast team if you require them to arrange an interpreter to support your discussion.

Palliative radiotherapy

Radiotherapy can also be used to help with symptoms or to slow the progress of the cancer when a cure is not available. This is called palliative radiotherapy. The full dose of radiation is usually divided into a number of smaller doses called fractions. When it is given for symptom control you will usually receive one or two fractions. If it is used to control the cancers progression you can receive up to 15 fractions.

Side effects

As with any treatment, there are potential side effects to radiotherapy. These include:

  • Fatigue (feeling very tired)
  • Redness or soreness of the skin where the treatment is delivered. Can feel like sunburn

Some people suffer no side effects or very little side effects, during and after treatment.

St James Leeds entrance

Location

The radiotherapy department is on Level -2, Bexley Wing at St James’s University Hospital, Beckett Street, Harehills, Leeds LS9 7TF. If you are travelling by car or hospital transport, follow signs for the atrium on level 0 and then take the red or green lift down to level -2. There is also an entrance directly to level -2 from Beckett Street for those travelling by public transport. There is a regular bus service from the city centre which stops outside the door.

If you are coming for radiotherapy treatment and have driven to St James’s University Hospital you do not have to pay for parking. Park in the multi-storey hospital car park opposite the Bexley Wing entrance as normal. When leaving the car park please show the parking attendants your radiotherapy appointment letter and you will be able to exit the car park without paying. For more information visit Radiotherapy, Leeds hospital website.