|
Radiation therapy
Definition
Radiation therapy uses high powered x-rays or radioactive seeds to kill cancer cells.
Alternative Names
Therapy - radiation; Radiotherapy
Information
Cancer cells usually multiply faster than other cells in the body. Because radiation is most harmful to rapidly growing cells, radiation therapy damages cancer cells more than normal cells. Specifically, radiation therapy damages the DNA of cancer cells. Doing so prevents the cancer cells from growing and dividing. Unfortunately, certain healthy cells can also be killed by this process. The death of healthy cells can lead to side effects.
Radiation therapy is used to fight many types of cancer. It is often used to shrink a tumor as much as possible before surgery. Radiation can also be given after surgery to prevent the cancer from coming back.
For certain types of cancer, radiation is the only treatment needed. Radiation treatment may also be used to provide temporary relief of symptoms, or to treat malignancies (cancers) that cannot be removed with surgery.
There are two forms of radiation therapy:
- External beam radiation is the most common form. This method carefully aims high powered x-rays directly at the tumor from outside of the body.
- Internal beam radiation uses radioactive seeds that are placed directly into or near the tumor. Internal beam radiation is also called interstitial radiation or brachytherapy.
The following are some commonly used radioactive substances:
- Cesium (137Cs)
- Cobalt (60Co)
- Iodine (131I)
- Phosphorus (32P)
- Gold (198Au)
- Iridium (192Ir)
- Yttrium (90Y)
- Palladium (103)
Radiation therapy can have many side effects. These side effects depend on the part of the body receiving radiation, the dose of radiation, and how often you have the therapy.
- Hair loss
- Skin pain
- Red, burning skin
- Shedding of the outer layer of skin (desquamation)
- Increased skin coloring (hyperpigmentation)
- Death of skin tissue (atrophy)
- Itching
- Fatigue and malaise
- Low blood counts
- Difficulty or pain swallowing
- Erythema
- Edema
- Changes in taste
- Anorexia
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Increased susceptibility to infection
- Fetal damage (in a pregnant woman)
Email to a Friend
Typical mistypes for Radiation therapy
eadiation therapy, dadiation therapy, fadiation therapy, tadiation therapy, 5adiation therapy, 4adiation therapy, rzdiation therapy, rsdiation therapy, rwdiation therapy, rqdiation therapy, rasiation therapy, raxiation therapy, raciation therapy, rafiation therapy, rariation therapy, raeiation therapy, raduation therapy, radjation therapy, radkation therapy, radoation therapy, rad9ation therapy, rad8ation therapy, radiztion therapy, radistion therapy, radiwtion therapy, radiqtion therapy, radiarion therapy, radiafion therapy, radiagion therapy, radiayion therapy, radia6ion therapy, radia5ion therapy, radiatuon therapy, radiatjon therapy, radiatkon therapy, radiatoon therapy, radiat9on therapy, radiat8on therapy, radiatiin therapy, radiatikn therapy, radiatiln therapy, radiatipn therapy, radiati0n therapy, radiati9n therapy, radiatiob therapy, radiatiom therapy, radiatioj therapy, radiatioh therapy, radiation rherapy, radiation fherapy, radiation gherapy, radiation yherapy, radiation 6herapy, radiation 5herapy, radiation tgerapy, radiation tberapy, radiation tnerapy, radiation tjerapy, radiation tuerapy, radiation tyerapy, radiation thwrapy, radiation thsrapy, radiation thdrapy, radiation thrrapy, radiation th4rapy, radiation th3rapy, radiation theeapy, radiation thedapy, radiation thefapy, radiation thetapy, radiation the5apy, radiation the4apy, radiation therzpy, radiation therspy, radiation therwpy, radiation therqpy, radiation theraoy, radiation theraly, radiation thera-y, radiation thera0y, radiation therapt, radiation therapg, radiation theraph, radiation therapu, radiation therap7, radiation therap6, adiation therapy, rdiation therapy, raiation therapy, radation therapy, radition therapy, radiaion therapy, radiaton therapy, radiatin therapy, radiatio therapy, radiationtherapy, radiation herapy, radiation terapy, radiation thrapy, radiation theapy, radiation therpy, radiation theray, radiation therap, ardiation therapy, rdaiation therapy, raidation therapy, radaition therapy, raditaion therapy, radiaiton therapy, radiatoin therapy, radiatino therapy, radiatio ntherapy, radiationt herapy, radiation hterapy, radiation tehrapy, radiation threapy, radiation thearpy, radiation therpay, radiation therayp, rradiation therapy, raadiation therapy, raddiation therapy, radiiation therapy, radiaation therapy, radiattion therapy, radiatiion therapy, radiatioon therapy, radiationn therapy, radiation therapy, radiation ttherapy, radiation thherapy, radiation theerapy, radiation therrapy, radiation theraapy, radiation therappy, radiation therapyy, etc.
|
|
|
