Radiation Therapy
Alternative names:
radiotherapy; therapy - radiation
Information:
Definition:
A treatment approach that uses ionizing radiation to destroy malignancies.
Radiation therapy is used to fight many types of cancer. Often it is used to shrink the tumor which is then removed during surgery. It may also be used to provide temporary relief of symptoms, or to treat malignancies that are not accessible to surgery.
Cancer cells usually multiply faster than most body tissues. This is advantageous for treatment, and tumors that are fast growing often respond well to radiation therapy. The radiation prevents cell division and the development of DNA (the genetic building blocks). Unfortunately, rapidly dividing body tissues are also disabled by this process. Skin and hair are some of the most noticeably impacted tissues after treatment, resulting in skin lesions and possibly hair loss. This occurs because these tissues have cells that rapidly divide and the radiation halts their development.
Following are some commonly used radioactive substances:- Radium (226Ra)
- Radon (221Rn)
- Cesium (137Cs)
- Cobalt (60Co)
- Iodine (131I)
- Phosphorus (32P)
- Gold (198Au)
- Iridium (192Ir)
- Yttrium (90Y)
Radiation therapy can have many side effects:
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