Radiation therapy is a way to treat cancer by using high-energy beams of radiation to kill or damage cancer cells. It works by going after the DNA in cancer cells, which stops them from growing and dividing. There are two ways to give radiation therapy: from the outside with a machine (external beam radiation therapy) or from the inside with radioactive implants put inside the body (brachytherapy). Advanced methods like intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) let doctors aim radiation at tumours very precisely while causing as little damage as possible to healthy tissue nearby. Depending on the type and stage of cancer, radiation therapy may be used on its own or with surgery, chemotherapy, or immunotherapy.
Why It's Done
Radiation therapy is used to get rid of cancer cells, shrink tumours, or ease symptoms like pain or bleeding. It can be used as the main treatment, before surgery to shrink the tumour, or after surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells. It can help relieve pain and improve the quality of life for people with advanced cancers.
What to Expect?
A planning session called a simulation takes place before radiation therapy starts. CT or MRI scans are used to determine the exact location of the tumour and to develop a treatment plan specific to the patient. The patient lies on a treatment table while the radiation machine sends beams to the affected area during treatment. The procedure doesn't hurt and usually only takes a few minutes per session, but it may take longer to set up. Most of the time, treatments are given five days a week for a few weeks. During the session, patients don't feel any radiation. Some people may feel tired, experience skin irritation, or have localised side effects after treatment, depending on the area treated. Regular follow-up visits monitor progress and address side effects.
Recovery & Outlook
How well you recover depends on where you were treated and how much radiation you got. After treatment ends, many side effects improve over time. Radiation therapy is very good at controlling or getting rid of some cancers, and it is an important part of modern cancer treatment.