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Radiation therapy (or radiotherapy) is a form of cancer treatment that damages or kills cancer cells by ionizing radiation, high-energy particles or waves, usually X-rays. Radiation works through direct and indirect damage to the genes that control cancer cells’ growth and division.
The goal of radiotherapy is to limit the spread of cancer cells while minimizing harm to nearby healthy tissue. It can be used to shrink tumors, reduce pressure, and treat other symptoms of cancer.
About 4 out of 10 patients with cancer receive some type of radiation therapy in their prescribed treatment plan. This can be an effective treatment by itself, but other types of cancer are best treated through a combination of procedures, which may include surgery, chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
• External-beam radiation therapy (EBRT)
EBRT is the most common type of radiation treatment. It directs radiation beams to the patient’s tumor from outside the body using a Linear Accelerator. You will be monitored through the process and there is no pain or heat felt.
There are many specialised radiation therapy techniques that can be delivered via external beam treatment. These include Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT), Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) and Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS).
Internal radiation (also called brachytherapy) uses radioactive metal pellets, seeds, ribbons, wires, needles, capsules or tubes that are implanted in the human body. These implants are temporary and will be removed after each session of brachytherapy.
• Permanent radioactive seed implants
If the radiation is in the form of a permanent implant, the patient will be hospitalized with limited visitors. The radiation is usually confined to the treatment area in order to limit radiation exposure. Radioactive substances can affect your body fluids. Safety precautions must be taken for the first few days after treatment, after which the radiation will slowly fade and eventually vanish from the body.
Read the Next Section: Aim of Radiotherapy Treatment
