What is radiation therapy?
Radiation therapy often is used for treatment of sinus cancers. Most commonly, external beams of radiation are focused at the center of the cancer. Treatment lasts just a few minutes and is usually given five days a week for several weeks. Radiation therapy can be used alone to cure small tumors or in patients whose health is too poor to undergo surgery. Additionally, radiation may be given after surgery to kill small cancer cells that cannot be seen with the naked eye or before surgery to shrink the tumor and make surgery easier. Side effects of radiation include dry mouth and nose, skin inflammation, fatigue, tooth decay, and visual loss. These side effects should be discussed with your radiation oncologist.
Radiation therapy is one method of treating cancer with Xrays or electron radiation. It may be used alone, or in conjunction with other treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy or local hyperthermia (heat). The effectiveness of radiation therapy varies depending on the size of the tumor,the species of the patient, the type of cancer it is, and where the tumor is located. It is most effective at treating tumors that occur in one area (localized disease) rather than tumors that have spread to other parts of the body (systemic disease). Radiation therapy is ideally given every day for a period of three to four weeks, and each treatment requires a brief general anesthesia. The side effects of this treatment vary depending on what part of the body is treated.
Radiation therapy uses an invisible beam of high-energy particles, such as electrons, or waves, such as x-rays, or gamma rays to destroy or damage cancer cells. Other names for radiation therapy include radiotherapy, x-ray therapy, electron beam irradiation, and some older forms of radiation therapy using radioactive Cobalt. The first patient with cancer to receive radiation treatment for her tumor was treated in 1896, just one year after the “discovery” of X-rays. There has been a phenomenal improvement in the science of radiation cancer therapy, and in the development in the technology involving the production of, and delivery of cancer killing therapeutic radiation since that time. The technological progress in just the past ten years has been amazing. Radiation therapy is one of the most common treatments for cancer available today, and is used in more than half of all cancer cases. It is the primary treatment for some types of cancer, such as certain non-melanoma skin cancers, hea
Many brain tumors are radiosensitive; their cells will shrink and die after exposure to radiation. Radiation therapy is used for both “benign”and malignant tumors. There are several different methods for delivering radiation to the treatment area, as well as varying dosages and schedules. As with any treatment, be sure to discuss radiation fully with your doctor, and make sure you feel comfortable with the recommended treatment. Radiation therapy is generally not painful, but there are a variety of potential side effects that you and your doctor will discuss. New radiation therapies are constantly under development. The Support section of this web site contains links to many sites that can provide detailed information on updated treatments options. Support groups are also great forums for sharing experiences and getting tips to help handle radiation treatments and its side effects.
Radiation therapy is a highly effective, pain-free treatment option used to cure or control the spread of cancer, bring relief to symptoms including pain, and to improve the quality of life of a patient with cancer. Radiation therapy is used on up to 80% of all cancers including breast cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, skin cancer, brain tumors and more. Radiation therapy involves the use of various kinds of radiation treatment techniques. The most effective radiation technique is selected to destroy abnormal (cancer) cells while sparing the normal surrounding tissue. External radiation therapy treatment (this is known as IMRT or 3-D Treatment Planning or External Beam radiation) involves the careful and accurate use of a high energy beam that passes through living tissue directly at a cancerous tumor and then exits out the other side of the body.
