- Patients
- Benign disease services
Radiation therapy for benign conditions
Radiation therapy can be used to treat many benign (non-cancerous) conditions. It can provide effective pain relief and may delay, or even prevent, the need for surgery.
Treating benign conditions with radiation therapy
We can treat benign conditions with radiation therapy to reduce the pain or discomfort associated with degenerative or inflammatory conditions.
Benign diseases that can benefit from radiation therapy include certain inflammatory conditions of the hands or feet. We offer radiotherapy for dupuytren’s disease, ledderhose disease, keloid scars, plantar fasciitis and achilles tendonitis. Radiation therapy may help prevent disease from getting worse, and may also improve symptoms. Radiation therapy may be suitable for you if other treatments haven’t worked, or as an alternative to surgery. We offer these treatments at many of our centres.
Radiation treatments are typically delivered over 10 daily sessions, with each session takes around 15 minutes. The treatment is normally very tolerable. There may be some mild redness of the skin immediately following treatment, but this usually disappears over 2-3 weeks. Where treatment is on the hand, there can be some reduction in palm sweating.
Different benign conditions
Disclaimer:
Care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of information on this webpage at the date of its publication, however, the information does not take the place of professional or medical advice. Please consult your doctor or treating clinician to determine whether any form of medical treatment or health service is appropriate for you.
Any procedure including treatments involving radiation carry risks, including skin irritation and associated pain. Before proceeding with a referral for treatment, patients should be advised to seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner. As in any medical procedure, patient experiences and outcomes will vary.
Read next

Condition
Achilles tendonitis
Achilles tendonitis, also known as Achilles tendinopathy, is an overuse injury of the Achilles tendon, the band of tissue that connects the calf muscles of the leg to your heel bone.

Condition
Dupuytren’s disease
Dupuytren’s disease is a benign condition that causes excessive scar tissue within the fibrous fascia beneath the skin of the palm of the hand.

Condition
Keloid scars
A keloid scar is a benign, overgrown lump that can sometimes develop when a wound heals, or even after minor skin damage such as acne or ear piercing.

Condition
Ledderhose disease
The main cause of Ledderhose disease remains uncertain. However, there are several risk factors associated with developing this disease.

Condition
Plantar fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is a very common repetitive strain condition affecting around 10% of the population at some point in their lives, more commonly women.