Radiation therapy is treatment that uses high-energy X-rays to destroy cancer cells. Our radiation oncologists have years of experience safely and effectively treating cancer with radiation. Using the latest technology, we can precisely target tumors and minimize damage to nearby healthy tissue.
Types of radiation therapy
Radiation therapy may provide effective treatment for the type of cancer you have. If so, your doctor will speak with you about the best options. Our radiation oncologists deliver this type of radiation to the cancer using machines outside the body. The radiation machine moves around your body without touching you.
External radiation therapy does not cause pain, so you won’t feel anything during your treatments.
This treatment, also called external beam radiation therapy (EBRT), does not make you radioactive. You can safely be around other people, including children.
External beam radiation is the most common approach to radiation treatment. It is produced by machines with various brand names including TrueBeam and CyberKnife. These machines move around the outside of your body, but they never touch you. The treatment is non-invasive.
Radiation therapy can be delivered in different ways:
- 3D (3-dimensional) conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT)
With this method, 3D images help the doctor better target the tumor. The images are created using a special machine — a computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine. The radiation beams can be aimed from many different angles to match the exact shape of the cancer. - Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)
This is a more advanced method that allows the dose to be adjusted or “painted” around irregularly shaped targets while sparing normal surrounding tissues better. In certain situations, this allows for better avoidance of nearby normal cells, and thus less potential side effects. - Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) or stereotactic ablative radiation therapy (SABR)
This method refers to radiation given in 5 or fewer treatments. Though thee dose of radiation given is similar to standard radiation, when given in just a few treatments, the effectiveness is much greater, and this treatment is considered much more powerful in killing cancer cells. SBRT/SABR is a specialized treatment technique that is used in specific situations.
Sometimes external beam radiation therapy is done at the time of surgery.
Intraoperative radiation therapy delivers radiation to the cancer site after your surgeon removes the tumor. Your radiation cancer doctor delivers focused radiation to the site, before the incision is closed. This treatment is given just once, in this single dose.
Possible side effects of radiation therapy
Everyone has a different response to radiation therapy. It may cause short-term side effects during treatment or long-term side effects after treatment ends.
The side effects of treatment depend on the type of radiation you receive, the dose, and your overall health.
No matter what you experience, your care team can help ease the side effects of treatment. At least once a week, your radiation oncology team will meet with you to discuss your progress and any side effects you may have.
Published April 2018
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