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Introduction: Radiotherapy is a common treatment for breast cancer. However, previous studies have shown that women who present for radiotherapy fear its use and associated side effects. The aims of this study were to develop further understanding of breast cancer patients' fears of radiotherapy, ascertain how patients deal with these fears and determine the best time in the treatment planning trajectory for health professionals to address these concerns.

Methods: Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with early breast cancer patients at four time points during their experiences of radiotherapy. Grounded theory was used to analyse the data. Symbolic interactionism informed data interpretation.

Results: Thirty‐four participants were interviewed. The two main themes that emerged prior to treatment commencement were ‘fears about receiving radiotherapy’ and ‘ways of coping with the fear of radiotherapy …