What happens if too much radiation is given to a patient?

Question: What happens if too much radiation is given to a patient?
- Keywords:
  harmful,
  radioactive,
  research
Asked by meghopkins to Jill on 15 Mar 2013.
- Jill Magee answered on 15 Mar 2013:
  
  Patients could get a lot of bad injuries if we gave them too much radiation. Some can get very painful burns, some could lose their hair and, if the radiation was so much (which thankfully has never happened in the whole time I’ve been here), then the patient can get cancer a couple of years after being exposed.

Question: What happens if too much radiation is given to a patient?