Common Causes
For radiation therapy, your main doctor is a radiation oncologist. They specialize in radiation oncology and lead a group of medical professionals that can include: Radiation therapy nurse. A registered nurse who can help educate you about treatment.
Related Conditions
The type of radiation that a doctor recommends will depend on the type of cancer, the size and location of the tumor, and the person’s general health. Radiation therapy may help meet different treatment goals.
What kind of Doctor does radiation therapy?
Doctors use radiation therapy to treat just about every type of cancer. Radiation therapy is also useful in treating some noncancerous (benign) tumors. Your doctor may suggest radiation therapy as an option at different times during your cancer treatment and for different reasons, including:
How does a doctor decide what type of radiation therapy to use?
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.
What kind of cancer can Radiation Therapy treat?
What is radiation therapy and how does it work?
What is a radiation doctor called?
If your cancer can be treated with radiation, you will be referred to a radiation oncologist — a doctor who specializes in treating patients with radiation therapy. Your radiation oncologist will work with your primary doctor and other cancer specialists, such as surgeons and medical oncologists, to oversee your care.
What does a radiation oncology doctor do?
Each radiation oncologist has specialized training in performing radiation treatment for people with cancer and those with certain noncancerous (benign) conditions. The doctors further specialize by concentrating their individual practices on treating different types of cancers, including complex and rare cancers.
What medical treatment uses radiation?
Radiation therapy (also called radiotherapy) is a cancer treatment that uses high doses of radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. At low doses, radiation is used in x-rays to see inside your body, as with x-rays of your teeth or broken bones.
Is radiation therapy the same as radiation oncology?
Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high-energy x-ray or other particles to destroy cancer cells. A doctor who specializes in giving radiation therapy to treat cancer is called a radiation oncologist.
Is a radiation therapist a doctor?
Radiation therapists set up the equipment and deliver radiation treatments prescribed by a radiation oncologist. Radiation therapists are not doctors, but are highly trained to operate a variety of sophisticated radiation therapy equipment used in cancer treatment.
What is the difference between an oncologist and a radiation oncologist?
Medical oncologists treat cancer using medication, including chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy. Radiation oncologists treat cancer using radiation therapy, which is the use of high-energy x-rays or other particles to destroy cancer cells.
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.
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%.
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...•
How many sessions of radiotherapy is normal?
Most people have 5 treatments each week (1 treatment a day from Monday to Friday, with a break at the weekend). But sometimes treatment may be given more than once a day or over the weekend.
Do Radiation oncologists do procedures?
A radiation oncologist uses ionizing radiation and other modalities to treat malignant and some benign diseases. Radiation oncologists also may use computed tomography (CT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound, and hyperthermia (heat) as additional interventions to aid in treatment planning and delivery.
Is radiation treatment 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.
What is the main doctor for radiation therapy?
Many doctors and health experts are part of a cancer care team. For radiation therapy, your main doctor is a radiation oncologist. They specialize in radiation oncology and lead a group of medical professionals that can include: Radiation therapy nurse. A registered nurse who can help educate you about treatment.
What is a radiation therapist?
Radiation therapist. A person trained to work the devices that give radiation therapy. Dosimetrist. Someone who arranges the right dose of radiation therapy for you. Medical physicist:A person who uses their physics knowledge for radiation treatments, devices, and technology.
What type of cancer is treated with radiation?
Types of Cancer It Treats. External beam radiation therapy can treat many cancers, including breast, colorectal, esophageal, head, neck, lung, and prostate cancer. Brachytherapy is used for some of the same cancers that external beam radiation therapy can treat. Examples are head, neck, breast, and prostatecancers.
How does radiation therapy work?
How Radiation Therapy Works. Radiation therapy damages the genetic material of cancer cells to kill them or slow their growth. More than half of people with cancer get it.
What is radiation oncology?
Radiation oncology is the area of medicine that uses radiation to treat cancer and other diseases. Find out how it works.
How long does radiation stay in your body?
The radiation source may stay inside your body for just a few minutes, several days, or longer. You may also hear your doctor talk about another kind of internal radiation therapy called "systemic radiation.". You take liquid radiation through your mouthor a vein.
Can you have radiation before chemotherapy?
Sometimes, radiation therapy happens before chemotherapy. Other times, it's combined with chemo. Your doctor may give you cancer medicationand radiation together to make them both work better, depending on your type of cancer.
Why do people get radiation therapy?
Why it's done. 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.
What type of radiation is used in X-rays?
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.
How does radiation damage cells?
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.
How long does radiation treatment last?
Expect each treatment session to last approximately 10 to 30 minutes. In some cases, a single treatment may be used to help relieve pain or other symptoms associated with more-advanced cancers. During a treatment session, you'll lie down in the position determined during your radiation simulation session.
How long does it take for cancer to respond to radiation?
In some cases, your cancer may respond to treatment right away. In other cases, it may take weeks or months for your cancer to respond.
What is the purpose of neoadjuvant therapy?
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.
Do you lie still during radiation?
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.
What kind of doctor can prescribe glasses?
You call them eye doctors. They can prescribe glasses or contact lenses and diagnose and treat diseases like glaucoma. Unlike optometrists, they’re medical doctors who can treat every kind of eye condition as well as operate on the eyes. Osteopaths.
What kind of doctor can take out a tumor?
They can take out tumors, appendices, or gallbladders and repair hernias. Many surgeons have subspecialties, like cancer, hand, or vascular surgery. Urologists. These are surgeons who care for men and women for problems in the urinary tract, like a leaky bladder.
What is a sleep medicine specialist?
They specialize in arthritis and other diseases in your joints, muscles, bones, and tendons. You might see them for your osteoporosis (weak bones), back pain, gout, tendinitis from sports or repetitive injuries, and fibromyalgia. Sleep Medicine Specialists. They find and treat causes behind your poor sleep.
What is the best doctor for a person with diabetes?
Endocrinologists. These are experts on hormones and metabolism. They can treat conditions like diabetes, thyroid problems, infertility, and calcium and bone disorders. Emergency Medicine Specialists. These doctors make life-or-death decisions for sick and injured people, usually in an emergency room.
What kind of doctor treats inflammatory bowel disease?
Colon and Rectal Surgeons. You would see these doctors for problems with your small intestine, colon, and bottom. They can treat colon cancer, hemorrhoids, and inflammatory bowel disease . Critical Care Medicine Specialists.
What kind of doctor treats eczema?
Allergists/Immunologists. They treat immune system disorders such as asthma, eczema, food allergies, insect sting allergies, and some autoimmune diseases. Anesthesiologists. These doctors give you drugs to numb your pain or to put you under during surgery, childbirth, or other procedures.
What is an internist?
Internists. These primary-care doctors treat both common and complex illnesses, usually only in adults. You’ll likely visit them or your family doctor first for any condition. Internists often have advanced training in a host of subspecialties, like heart disease, cancer, or adolescent or sleep medicine.
What is radiation therapy?
Radiation therapy is the term for treatment types that use radiation to destroy or shrink cancer cells and tumors. The two main types of radiation therapy for treating cancer are external beam radiation and internal radiation therapy. The type of radiation that a doctor recommends will depend on the type of cancer, ...
What is the name of the session where a person meets with a radiation oncologist?
A person who decides to have external beam radiation will typically meet with a radiation oncologist and a radiation therapist for a planning session called a simulation.
What is the second type of radiation treatment?
The second main type of radiation treatment is internal radiation therapy , also known as brachytherapy. During this treatment, a doctor places an implant containing radiation in or near the cancer site. The implants come in different shapes, which include: tube. wire. capsule.
How does brachytherapy work?
Both are local therapies that work on one part of the body, directing high energy beams at cancer cells to destroy them. However, the two therapies differ in the source of the radiation.
What is external beam radiation?
External beam radiation is the most common type of radiation treatment for cancer. External means that the energy beams come from a machine outside of the body. A healthcare professional precisely aims the beams, which penetrate the body to reach the cancer site. Another name for external beam radiation is teletherapy.
What is the procedure called when you insert a radioactive implant?
Internal radiation therapy. During brachytherapy, a person’s treatment team will use a tube called a catheter or a larger device called an applicator to insert the radioactive implant. Once the catheter or applicator is in position, the doctor will place the radiation source inside it.
Why do you need a mask for radiation?
In addition, healthcare professionals may create a body mold that they use to ensure that a person is in the correct position when receiving radiation therapy. If a person is receiving radiation therapy to the head or neck, they may need to use a face mask to keep their head in place during treatment.
What is the name of the doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating diseases and disorders with x-rays
radiologist. a physician who specializes in diagnosing and treating diseases and disorders with x-rays and other forms of radiant energy. radiographic positioning. describes the placement of the patient's body and the part of the body that is closest to the x-ray film.
What substance does not allow x-rays to pass through?
substance does not allow x-rays to pass through and appears white or light gray on the resulting film. radiolucent. a substance that allows x-rays to pass through and appears black or dark gray on the resulting film. barium. a radiopaque contrast medium used primarily to visualize the gastrointestinal tract. radiology.
What is the imaging of deep body structures?
imaging of deep body structures by recording the echoes of sound wave pulses that are above the range of human hearing; also known as ultrasound. echocardiography. the use of ultrasound imaging to create a detailed visual image of the brain for diagnostic purposes. Doppler echocardiogram.
What is the medical specialty of allergy?
Allergy and immunology - A medical specialty concerned with the hypersensitivity of an individual to foreign substances and protection from the resultant infection or disorder. Anesthesiology - A medical specialty concerned with purposeful depression of nerve function, characterized by loss of feeling or sensation, ...
What is the medical specialty that treats obesity, weight-related health problems, and prevents aging?
Anti-Aging Medicine - A medical specialty concerned with detecting, preventing, and treating aging related disease and to promote research into methods to retard and optimize the human aging process. Bariatrics - A medical specialty that diagnoses, treats and manages obesity, overweight and weight-related health problems.
What is the specialty of obstetrics and gynecology?
Obstetrics and Gynecology - The medical-surgical specialty concerned with management and care of women during pregnancy, parturition, and puerperium; the physiology and disorders primarily of the female genital tract; and female endocrinology and reproductive physiology. This physician may serve as a primary care source for women.
What is interventional radiology?
Interventional Radiology - Radiology specialty that uses various radiology techniques (such as x-ray, CT scans, MRI scans, and ultrasounds) to place wires, tubes, or other instruments inside a patient to diagnose or treat an array of conditions. Neonatology - Medical specialty concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and disorders ...
What is the subspecialty of geriatrics?
Geriatrics - The subspecialty of medicine concerned with the physiological and pathological aspects of the aged , including, but not limited to, the clinical problems of senescence and senility. Gynecologic Oncology - Specialty of medicine that treats cancers of the female reproductive organs.
What is gastroenterology?
Gastroenterology - A subspecialty of internal medicine concerned with the study of the physiology and diseases of the digestive system and related structures (esophagus, liver, gallbladder, and pancreas). General Surgery - Specialty of medicine that deals with disease or injury by operative means.
What is a cardiovascular specialist?
Cardiovascular specialists are trained in diseases of the heart, lungs, and blood vessels and they manage complex cardiac conditions such as heart attacks and life-threatening, abnormal heartbeat rhythms. Cardiovascular Surgery - A surgical specialty concerned with the heart and major blood vessels of the chest.
Overview
Pain in and around the teeth and jaws that is usually caused by tooth decay.
Toothache is not always related to an underlying condition. It may be caused by:
- Injury or trauma to the tooth
- Damaged or fractured tooth
- Dental work: After getting a filling or crown
- Braces
- Teeth clenching or grinding
- Repetitive motions (chewing or grinding)
- Third molars ("wisdom teeth")
- Biting into a hard object
- Cavity
- Tooth decay
- Exposed root surfaces
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.
Results
- Radiation therapy side effects depend on which part of your body is being exposed to radiation and how much radiation is used. You may experience no side effects, or you may experience several. Most side effects are temporary, can be controlled and generally disappear over time once treatment has ended. Some side effects may develop later. For example, in rare circumsta…
Clinical Trials
- Before you undergo external beam radiation therapy, your health care team guides you through a planning process to ensure that radiation reaches the precise spot in your body where it's needed. Planning typically includes: 1. 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 li…