Radiotherapy is the treatment of cancer (and a few non-cancerous conditions) using high-energy X-rays. Radiotherapy may be given on its own or, as is often the case, alongside other treatments such as surgery or chemotherapy. Dr Angela K. Waweru, a Consultant Radiation Oncologist at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi, writes that fear and misconception have caused many patients to either delay or worse still, decline radiotherapy- a critical treatment modality in the fight against cancer. She notes that radiotherapy can have a benefit at any stage of cancer. For cancers that are detected early, the aim of treatment is to cure, either with radiotherapy alone or in addition to another main treatment.