“Can you be around someone after radiation treatment?”

Yes, if the patient received radiation therapy from external beam from linear accelerator or cobalt machine.

Yes. Patients treated on an x-ray machine are not radioactive.

If it is external beam radiation, where radiation is aimed at you, then you are not radioactive and can safely be around others. If radiation is injected into you or given to you in the form of a pill, perhaps not.

If you are talking about risks to others from a course of external beam radiation of the sort used for most tumors, the answer is yes — no risk at all. It is like turning out a light. If you are talking about live source brachytherapy like a GYN implant or prostate seed implant, then the answer is probably yes, but you need to speak with your doctor to ask if there is any remaining risk. If you are asking about risks to the patient himself, that depends on the status of the immune system, etc.

Roger Macklis

Addressing Concerns regarding  interaction with others after radiation treatment. There are essentially two (2) types of radiation therapy-1) external beam radiation therapy and 2) ‘internal’ radiation which, as the name suggests, is delivered internally via radioactive agents called radioactive isotopes. One such example of ‘internal radiation’ is radioactive seed implantation,  referred to as brachytherapy; utilized as clinically indicated, in the treatment of some prostate cancer patients. In the case of external beam radiation, the treatment is being delivered by high energy X-rays. Thus, similar to other X-rays, used for example in dental evaluation, or a simple chest -x-ray,  there is no residual radiation after each treatment. Therefore, you can interact with your family and loved ones without reticence or trepidation. I hope the information imparted herein, provides  ample clarity and allays your concerns.Regards,Dr. EB.