What are the various pros and cons of radiation therapy?
Pros: treats a lot of cancers and can be focused to specific areas of the body. It can treat tumors by itself or be used before a surgery to shrink it or after surgery to make sure all the cancerous cells are killed (assuming no metastasis). It can improve quality of life in the process. Cons: Not specific for cancerous cells so healthy, normal cells are also damaged, can lead to side effects (tiredness, skin irritation or peeling, I believe there is increased risk of infection just like any treatment for cancers). It can be expensive because it requires specific equipment and training. Radiation can damage DNA further (which is how it kills cancer cells), but can also cause mutations in normal cells that can lead to other tumors or problems later.
