Radiation Therapy
Leading-Edge Technology for Precision Cancer Treatment
Radiation therapy is the careful use of high-energy radiation to treat cancer. It can be used alone or combined with other cancer treatments. Doctors who specialize in treating cancer with radiation (radiation oncologists) may use radiation to target and kill cancer cells or to relieve symptoms caused by cancer.
Radiation destroys the cancer cells' ability to reproduce, then the body naturally gets rid of these cells. About 50 to 60 percent of cancer patients are treated with radiation at some point during their cancer journey.
How Radiation Therapy Works
- Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays or particles to destroy cancer cells
- Radiation therapy may be used to try to kill any cancer cells that may be left behind after surgery. It is also used to treat cancers that have spread, most often if the spread is to the bones or brain
- Radiation therapy can be given either before surgery (neoadjuvant therapy) to shrink the tumor or after surgery (adjuvant therapy) to prevent the cancer from coming back in the area where the cancer started
Treatment Options
Your doctor may suggest radiation therapy as an option at different times during your cancer treatment and for different reasons, including:
- Primary treatment for cancer
- Before surgery, to shrink a cancerous tumor (neoadjuvant therapy)
- After surgery, to stop the growth of any remaining cancer cells (adjuvant therapy)
- In combination with other treatments, such as chemotherapy, to destroy cancer cells
- In advanced cancer to lessen symptoms caused by the cancer
Types of Radiation Therapy
External Beam Radiation Therapy
Uses high-energy X-rays to kill cancer cells. A machine, usually a Linear Accelerator (LINAC) aims radiation at the tumor from outside the body. The treatment is painless, like getting an X-ray, and only takes a few minutes. It can help shrink tumors and stop cancer from growing, while doctors carefully protect healthy surrounding cells.
There are two types: Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT), which delivers high doses to a small tumor in a few treatments, and Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), which gives smaller doses over more treatments.
Brachytherapy
- Uses radioactive material placed inside your body to treat cancer. Often referred to as internal radiation
- Allows doctors to deliver higher doses of radiation to more specific areas of the body, compared with external radiation
- Causes fewer side effects than external radiation, and the overall treatment time is usually shorter
Effects of Radiation Therapy
Side effects of radiation therapy depend on which part of your body is being exposed to radiation, how much radiation is used and the type of radiation given. You may experience no side effects, or you may experience several.
Side effects are often temporary, can be controlled and generally disappear over time once treatment is over. Some side effects may develop later. Ask your doctor about potential side effects, both short and long term that may occur after your treatment.
Interested in Learning More?
Talk to your doctor for more information on radiation therapy and if it's right for you.
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