FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS
What is Radiation?
Radiation is a form of energy that is emitted and carried
by waves or a stream of particles. This energy may come
from natural occurring properties (produced by special
machines) or from radioactive sources.
What is Radiation Therapy?
The use of high-energy rays or particles to treat cancer
and other related benign diseases are called radiation
therapy. Special equipment is used to aim the radiation
at the tumors or diseased areas of the body. Depending
on the type of disease, radiation therapy is used to cure
or relieve the symptoms, or control the spread of cancer.
Radiation therapy may be used alone, or combined with surgery
and/or chemotherapy.
How does Radiation Therapy work?
Using certain levels of radiation can kill cells or keep
them from dividing and growing. Cancer cells have a very
rapid cell cycle that grow and divide more rapidly than
normal cells. Normal cells have a very slow cell cycle
thus they have more time to recover from the radiation
and are not as adversely effected, as are the cancer cells.
How is Radiation Therapy given?
Radiation therapy can be administered in either external
or internal forms. Most people who receive radiation therapy
for cancer have the external type, which is usually given
during outpatient visits. With external therapy, a machine
directs the high-energy rays or particles to a very specific,
targeted area and requires that treatment be provided over
a prescribed period of time.
Internal radiation therapy is treatment delivered from inside
the body. There are two types of internal radiation therapy,
Radioisotopes and Brachytherapy. Radioisotopes are given
in a pill form or by an injection of a radioactive liquid.
The radioisotope travels throughout the body in the blood
stream to the area that requires treatment. Brachytherapy
is the placement of a radioactive source either permanently
or temporarily, directly into an organ or cavity inside the
body.
What are the benefits of Radiation Therapy?
Radiation therapy is an effective way to treat many types
of cancers. Half of all cancer patients are treated with
radiation. Statistics prove that thousands of people are
free from cancer after having radiation therapy alone or
in combination with surgery, chemotherapy and biological
therapy. Doctors can use radiation therapy before surgery
to shrink a tumor or after surgery to stop the growth of
any remaining cancer cells. In some cases, radiation is
used with anti-cancer drugs to destroy cancer cells.
Are there risks involved in Radiation
Therapy?
There are minimal risks for patients who
are receiving radiation therapy. The radiation that damages
or destroys cancer cells can also hurt normal cells. When
this happens, the patient may experience some side effects,
although the risk of side effects is outweighed by the benefits
of the treatment to the cancer cells.
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