what is radition treatment

How do I get into radiation therapy?

The type of radiation therapy that you may have depends on many factors, including:

• the type of cancer
• the size of the tumor
• the tumor’s location in the body
• how close the tumor is to normal tissues that are sensitive to radiation
• your general health and medical history
• whether you will have other types of cancer treatment
• other factors, such as your age and other medical conditions

What can I expect from radiation therapy?

Radiation to the brain can cause these short-term side effects: Headaches Hair loss Nausea Vomiting Extreme tiredness (fatigue) Hearing loss Skin and scalp changes Trouble with memory and speech Seizures Some of these side effects can happen because radiation has caused the brain to swell.

What to expect when having radiation therapy?

What to Expect During Radiation Therapy Treatment

• Before Radiation Therapy. At Affiliated Oncologists, each treatment plan is created to meet the individual needs of the patient, but there are some steps that are taken for each patient.
• During Radiation Therapy. There are two main types of radiation therapy: external beam radiation and internal radiation therapy.
• After Radiation Therapy. ...

How dangerous is radiation therapy?

When X-ray radiation is absorbed within our bodies, it can damage molecular structures and potentially cause harm. Very high doses of radiation cause damage to human cells, as evidenced by skin burns, loss of hair, and increased incidence of cancer.

How is radiation treatment given?

You receive systemic radiation therapy by swallowing, through a vein via an IV line, or through an injection. With systemic radiation, your body fluids, such as urine, sweat, and saliva, will give off radiation for a while.

What are the side effects of radiation therapy?

Specific side effects of radiation therapy that affect parts of the bodyHeadaches.Hair loss.Nausea.Vomiting.Extreme tiredness (fatigue)Hearing loss.Skin and scalp changes.Trouble with memory and speech.More items...•

What are the 3 types of radiation therapy?

Three common types of internal radiation therapy include:Brachytherapy involves radioactive material that is implanted in the body. ... Intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) is used to treat an exposed tumor during cancer surgery. ... Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is not actually surgery.

Is radiation therapy painful?

Does radiation therapy hurt? No, radiation therapy does not hurt while it is being given. But the side effects that people may get from radiation therapy can cause pain and discomfort.

Is radiation worse than chemo?

The radiation beams change the DNA makeup of the tumor, causing it to shrink or die. This type of cancer treatment has fewer side effects than chemotherapy since it only targets one area of the body.

Do you lose hair with radiation?

Radiation therapy can also cause hair loss on the part of the body that is being treated. Hair loss is called alopecia. Talk with your health care team to learn if the cancer treatment you will be receiving causes hair loss.

How long does a radiation treatment take?

Each radiation therapy treatment takes about 10 minutes. Radiation therapy to try and cure cancer is usually delivered daily, Monday through Friday, for about five to eight weeks. Weekend breaks allow normal cells to recover. Shorter durations of radiation therapy may be used to relieve symptoms.

What is the success rate of radiation therapy?

“When patients are treated with modern external-beam radiation therapy, the overall cure rate was 93.3% with a metastasis-free survival rate at 5 years of 96.9%.

Do tumors grow back after radiation?

Normal cells close to the cancer can also become damaged by radiation, but most recover and go back to working normally. If radiotherapy doesn't kill all of the cancer cells, they will regrow at some point in the future.

What are 5 effects of radiation?

Radiation Effects on HumansDose (rem)Effects5-20Possible late effects; possible chromosomal damage.20-100Temporary reduction in white blood cells.100-200Mild radiation sickness within a few hours: vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue; reduction in resistance to infection.4 more rows

How long can you live after radiation therapy?

Median follow-up time for this report was 41 months (range=14.6-59.0). Following treatment with stereotactic radiation, more than eight in ten patients (84%) survived at least 1 year, and four in ten (43%) survived 5 years or longer. The median overall survival (OS) time was 42.3 months.

What should you avoid during radiation?

Avoid raw vegetables and fruits, and other hard, dry foods such as chips or pretzels. It's also best to avoid salty, spicy or acidic foods if you are experiencing these symptoms. Your care team can recommend nutrient-based oral care solutions if you are experiencing mucositis or mouth sores caused by cancer treatment.

What Is Radiation Therapy?

Radiation therapy uses high-energy particles or waves, such as x-rays, gamma rays, electron beams, or protons, to destroy or damage cancer cells.Yo...

Who Gets Radiation Therapy?

More than half of people with cancer get radiation therapy. Sometimes, radiation therapy is the only cancer treatment needed.

What Are The Goals of Radiation Therapy?

Most types of radiation therapy don’t reach all parts of the body, which means they’re not helpful in treating cancer that has spread to many place...

How Is Radiation Therapy given?

Radiation therapy can be given in 3 ways: 1. External radiation (or external beam radiation): uses a machine that directs high-energy rays from out...

Who Gives Radiation Therapy Treatments?

During your radiation therapy, a team of highly trained medical professionals will care for you. Your team may include these people: 1. Radiation o...

Does Radiation Therapy Cause Cancer?

It has long been known that radiation therapy can slightly raise the risk of getting another cancer. It’s one of the possible side effects of treat...

Does Radiation Therapy Affect Pregnancy Or Fertility?

Women: It’s important not to become pregnant while getting radiation – it can harm the growing baby. If there’s a chance you might become pregnant,...

Questions to Ask About Radiation Therapy

Before treatment, you’ll be asked to sign a consent form saying that your doctor has explained how radiation therapy may help, the possible risks,...

Will I Be Radioactive During Or After External Radiation Treatment?

External radiation therapy affects cells in your body only for a moment. Because there’s no radiation source in your body, you are not radioactive...

When should radiation therapy be given?

Radiation therapy may be given before, during, or after these other treatments to improve the chances that treatment will work. The timing of when radiation therapy is given depends on the type of cancer being treated and whether the goal of radiation therapy is to treat the cancer or ease symptoms.

What is intraoperative radiation therapy?

During surgery, so that it goes straight to the cancer without passing through the skin. Radiation therapy used this way is called intraoperative radiation.

How does radiation help cancer?

When radiation is combined with surgery, it can be given: 1 Before surgery, to shrink the size of the cancer so it can be removed by surgery and be less likely to return. 2 During surgery, so that it goes straight to the cancer without passing through the skin. Radiation therapy used this way is called intraoperative radiation. With this technique, doctors can more easily protect nearby normal tissues from radiation. 3 After surgery to kill any cancer cells that remain.

What is brachytherapy with liquid source?

Learn more about brachytherapy. Internal radiation therapy with a liquid source is called systemic therapy. Systemic means that the treatment travels in the blood to tissues throughout your body, seeking out and killing cancer cells.

What is the best radiation treatment for thyroid cancer?

A systemic radiation therapy called radioactive iodine, or I-131, is most often used to treat certain types of thyroid cancer.

What is the treatment for cancer that has spread to the bone called?

Pain from cancer that has spread to the bone can be treated with systemic radiation therapy drugs called radiopharmaceuticals.

Why do people with cancer need radiation?

Why People with Cancer Receive Radiation Therapy. Radiation therapy is used to treat cancer and ease cancer symptoms . When used to treat cancer, radiation therapy can cure cancer, prevent it from returning, or stop or slow its growth. When treatments are used to ease symptoms, they are known as palliative treatments.

What is radiation therapy?

Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses concentrated radiation beams to kill cancer cells. The most common type of radiation therapy is external beam radiation. This type involves a machine that directs high-energy beams of radiation at cancer cells. The machine allows radiation to be targeted at specific sites, ...

Why do doctors use radiation?

The machine allows radiation to be targeted at specific sites, which is why doctors use external beam radiation for nearly all types of cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), about half of all people with cancer will receive radiation therapy.

What is the first step in radiation treatment?

The first step in radiation treatment is determining that it’s the right form of treatment for you. Your doctor will also determine dosage amounts and the frequency of radiation best suited for your cancer type and stage. Sometimes your doctor may decide that radiation therapy is best suited for use at a later stage, ...

How long does radiation therapy take?

Radiation therapy typically takes treatment sessions five days a week for 1 to 10 weeks. The total number of treatments depends on the size and type of cancer. Each session usually takes about 10 to 30 minutes. Often, the individual is given each weekend off from therapy, which helps with the restoration of normal cells.

How long does it take for hair loss to go away after radiation?

Skin changes can include: Other side effects of radiation depend on the area being treated, and can include: According to the NCI, the majority of these side effects go away within two months after treatment is complete.

Can radiation therapy be used at a later stage?

Sometimes your doctor may decide that radiation therapy is best suited for use at a later stage, so you may receive other cancer treatments first. Preparation for radiation therapy involves a radiation simulation. It typically includes the steps seen below.

Can radiation therapy be permanent?

While the therapy also will likely injure healthy cells, the damage isn’t permanent. Your normal, noncancerous cells have the ability to recover from radiation therapy. To minimize the effect radiation has on the body, the radiation is targeted only to specific points in your body. Radiation therapy can be used during different stages ...

How is radiation given?

Radiation therapy can be given in 3 ways: 1 External radiation (or external beam radiation): uses a machine that directs high-energy rays from outside the body into the tumor. It’s done during outpatient visits to a hospital or treatment center. It's usually given over many weeks and sometimes will be given twice a day for several weeks. A person receiving external radiation is not radioactive and does not have to follow special safety precautions at home. 2 Internal radiation: Internal radiation is also called brachytherapy. A radioactive source is put inside the body into or near the tumor. With some types of brachytherapy, radiation might be placed and left in the body to work. Sometimes it is placed in the body for a period of time and then removed. This is decided based on the type of cancer. Special safety precautions are needed for this type of radiation for a period of time. But it's important to know if the internal radiation is left in the body, after a while it eventually is no longer radioactive. 3 Systemic radiation: Radioactive drugs given by mouth or put into a vein are used to treat certain types of cancer. These drugs then travel throughout the body. You might have to follow special precautions at home for a period of time after these drugs are given.

What is systemic radiation?

Systemic radiation: Radioactive drugs given by mouth or put into a vein are used to treat certain types of cancer. These drugs then travel throughout the body. You might have to follow special precautions at home for a period of time after these drugs are given.

What is the treatment for cancer that has returned?

To treat cancer that has returned (recurred) If a person's cancer has returned (recurred), radiation might be used to treat the cancer or to treat symptoms caused by advanced cancer. Whether radiation will be used after recurrence depends on many factors.

How does radiation help cancer cells?

But cancer cells grow and divide faster than most normal cells. Radiation works by making small breaks in the DNA inside cells. These breaks keep cancer cells from growing and dividing and cause them to die.

Why do people get radiation to their head?

This is done to help prevent cancer from spreading to the head even before it can.

How many people with cancer get radiation?

More than half of people with cancer get radiation therapy. Sometimes, radiation therapy is the only cancer treatment needed and sometimes it's used with other types of treatment. The decision to use radiation therapy depends on the type and stage of cancer, and other health problems a patient might have.

What is the best treatment for cancer?

Radiation may be used by itself in these cases to make the cancer shrink or completely go away. In some cases, chemotherapy or other anti-cancer drugs may be given first. For other cancers, radiation may be used before surgery to shrink the tumor ...

How does radiation therapy work?

With radiation therapy, high-energy radiation is used to shrink or kill cancer cells. It kills the cells by damaging the DNA of the cell. Once the cells are damaged, they stop dividing or die. Does radiation target only cancer cells?

What is therapeutic radiology?

Therapeutic radiology (also called radiation oncology or radiation therapy) is the treatment of cancer and other diseases with radiation. Radiation in various forms is used to kill the cancer cells by preventing them from multiplying. Therapeutic radiology may be used to cure or control cancer, or to alleviate some of the symptoms associated ...

What is radiation therapy simulation?

When considering radiation therapy, the process generally includes: Simulation - After a physical exam and a review of your medical history, your treatment team maps out the position you will be in for each treatment and the exact location on your body (refer red to as treatment field or port) where the radiation will be given. ...

What are the devices used during radiation therapy?

Imaging studies, such as CT scans, MRI scans, or PET scans, may also be performed during the simulation process to help plan how to direct the radiation during your treatments.

When did radiation oncology become a medical specialty?

Radiation oncology became recognized as a medical specialty in 1922. Therapeutic radiology treatment may be used alone, or in conjunction with other types of treatment, such as surgery, chemotherapy (the use of anticancer drugs to treat cancerous cells), and/or other treatments. The level and type of radiation used will be determined by ...

Is radiation therapy used for cancer?

Sometimes, radiation therapy is used in combination with other treatments. Radiation is delivered to the outside of the body with a machine ( external-beam radiation) or within the body (internal-beam radiation) External-beam radiation therapy is provided in many different forms, depending on the type of cancer and location of the cancerous cells.

Can you be radioactive with brachytherapy?

With external-beam radiation therapy, you will not be radioactive. With brachytherapy treatment though, while the radioactive material is in the body, you will be radioactive. Once the material is removed, you are no longer radioactive.

How long does radiation therapy last?

It is the most common radiation therapy treatment for cancer. Each session is quick, lasting about 15 minutes. Radiation does not hurt, sting, or burn when it enters the body.

What to expect when getting radiation therapy?

What to Expect When Having Radiation Therapy. It is normal to feel worried or overwhelmed when you learn that you will need radiation therapy. However, learning more about this type of cancer treatment may help you feel more prepared and comfortable.

What type of doctor is responsible for radiation therapy?

Radiation oncologist. This type of doctor specializes in giving radiation therapy to treat cancer. A radiation oncologist oversees radiation therapy treatments. They work closely with other team members to develop the treatment plan. Radiation oncology nurse.

What is simulation in radiation therapy?

Simulating and planning treatment. Your first radiation therapy session is a simulation. This means it is a practice run without giving radiation therapy. Your team will use imaging scans to identify the tumor location.

Why is it important to be in the same position for radiation?

It is important for your body to be in the same position for each treatment. Your radiation oncology team cares about your comfort. Talk with the team to find a comfortable position that you can be in every time you come in for radiation therapy.

How often should you check for radiation?

During your treatment, your radiation oncologist will check how well it is working. Typically, this will happen at least once a week. If needed, they may adjust your treatment plan.

What is informed consent for radiation?

Giving permission for radiation therapy. If you choose to receive radiation therapy, your health care team will ask you to sign an "informed consent" form. Signing the document means: Your team gave you information about your treatment options. You choose to have radiation therapy.

What is the purpose of radiation therapy?

Radiation can be used as a palliative therapy, meaning that its primary intent is to relieve symptoms caused by cancer. Radiation as palliative treatment can help shrink or destroy a tumor that has involved nearby structures. This can relieve pressure, bleeding, or pain.

How does radiation therapy work?

Radiation therapy uses x-rays or other high-energy types of radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. This can be done via externally applied x-rays or internally delivered radiation. It is an effective treatment for many types of cancers in almost any part of the body. Radiation is used in two main ways: To treat cancer ...

What is radiation oncology?

Radiation oncologists regularly work with medical oncologists. Often, radiation is used along with anticancer drugs to destroy the cancer, instead of performing surgery. Radiation can also be combined with anticancer drugs in the neoadjuvant or adjuvant setting.

Why is radiation used in cancer treatment?

Sometimes radiation is used along with anticancer drugs to destroy the cancer, instead of performing surgery. Radiation can be used as a palliative therapy, meaning that its primary intent is to relieve pressure, bleeding, or pain by shrinking tumors.

Can radiation be given before surgery?

However, it may also be given in combination with chemotherapy and/or surgery. It can be used before surgery to shrink a tumor, and during or after surgery to kill any cancer cells that may still be present. Sometimes radiation is used along with anticancer drugs to destroy the cancer, instead of performing surgery.

Is radiation therapy a stand alone treatment?

Radiation Therapy as a Stand-Alone Cancer Treatment. For many patients, radiation is the only treatment needed. Types of cancers treated with radiation alone include Hodgkin’s disease and other types of lymphoma, various types of brain tumors, head and neck cancers, lung cancer, prostate cancer, and various gynecologic cancers.

Why It's Done

Risks

How You Prepare

What You Can Expect

• More than half of all people with cancer receive radiation therapy as part of their cancer treatment. Doctors use radiation therapy to treat just about every type of cancer. Radiation therapy is also useful in treating some noncancerous (benign) tumors.

See more on mayoclinic.org

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