Radiation Therapy for cancer
Introduction
Radiation therapy is a type of cancer treatment that uses beams of intense energy to kill cancer cells. Radiation therapy most often uses X-rays, but protons or other types of energy also can be used.
The term "radiation therapy" most often refers to external beam radiation therapy. During this type of radiation, the high-energy beams come from a machine outside of your body that aims the beams at a precise point on your body. During a different type of radiation treatment called brachytherapy (brak-e-THER-uh-pee), radiation is placed inside your body.
Radiation therapy damages cells by destroying the genetic material that controls how cells grow and divide. While both healthy and cancerous cells are damaged by radiation therapy, the goal of radiation therapy is to destroy as few normal, healthy cells as possible. Normal cells can often repair much of the damage caused by radiation.
Purpose of radiation therapy for cancer
- As the only (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 alleviate symptoms caused by the cancer
Risks involved
Radiation therapy side effects depend on which part of your body is being exposed to radiation and how much radiation is used.
Any part: Hair loss at treatment site (sometimes permanent), skin irritation at treatment site, fatigue
Head and neck: Dry mouth, thickened saliva, difficulty swallowing, sore throat, changes in the way food tastes, nausea, mouth sores, tooth decay
Chest: Difficulty swallowing, cough, shortness of breath
Abdomen: Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
Pelvis: Diarrhea, bladder irritation, frequent urination, sexual dysfunction
Preparations before radiation
Radiation simulation: During simulation, your radiation therapy team works with you to find a comfortable position for you during treatment. It's imperative that you lie still during treatment, so finding a comfortable position is vital. To do this, you'll lie on the same type of table that's used during radiation therapy. Cushions and restraints are used to position you in the right way and to help you hold still.
Planning scans: Your radiation therapy team will have you undergo computerized tomography (CT) scans to determine the area of your body to be treated.
Conclusion
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