If you have been diagnosed with any type of cancer, the oncologist is likely to suggest Radiation Therapy, one of the most common cancer treatments. In Vida y Salud we tell you what it is so that you can better understand what is going to happen in your body during the treatment.
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| What is radiation therapy for cancer? |
Radiation therapy, also called radiation treatment, is one of the main cancer treatments and is based on applying high-energy particles or waves to a specific part of the body where a cancer tumor or cancer cells are found. These paste waves or particles can be X-rays, electron or proton rays or gamma rays, for example.
How does radiotherapy work?
What does this energy do? Cancer cells multiply faster than the other cells in the body. When radiation is applied to you, energy directly affects the genetic information of cancer cells, and destroys them or at least damages them to keep them from growing or dividing to form new cells. This can reduce the size of a tumor, prevent cancer from spreading and eventually cancer cells can disappear in your body.
You may be wondering if radiotherapy also affects your normal cells. The answer: not significantly. Unlike chemotherapy, another cancer treatment that does involve the entire body, radiation is applied locally, that is, directly where cancer cells are found. However, some normal cells are likely to be affected, but fortunately, they have the ability to recover. And to avoid affecting your normal cells more than necessary, radiation is applied in controlled doses, sessions are not followed and the rest of the body is protected.
The choice of radiotherapy depends on the type of cancer you have. For example, Radiation is usually the main treatment for head cancer, neck cancer, bladder cancer or lung cancer. Or they can be used as a complementary treatment for surgery or chemotherapy for other types of cancer. They can also be used to eliminate benign tumors, reduce the size of a tumor, eliminate the cancer cells that remain after surgery and thus prevent cancer from reappearing, or to relieve symptoms when the cancer is very advanced.
How is radiation therapy applied?
There are three types of radiotherapy.
- External radiation, the most common, is applied with special machines that direct the rays towards the tumor, called “linear accelerator” (abbreviated linac in English).
- Internal radiation (brachytherapy) is done by radioactive implants that are located in the body near or inside the cancerous tumor, or inside a body cavity where the cancer is concentrated. It has the disadvantage that it only allows radiation to be applied to small tumors, but it has the advantage that it allows to apply stronger radiation and in less time.
- Systemic radiation is made through medications with radioactive substances, called radiopharmaceuticals, that come in the form of pills or intravenous injections. It is the only radiotherapy treatment that is not localized and that does involve the entire body.
Your oncologist can guide you about the different treatments and if this is the best according to your particular case. Ask him how you should prepare for radiation and what are the possible side effects you might have, if they exist. If you have doubts, you can always ask for a second opinion. With good care and positive energy, you can have a successful treatment. Good luck!