Radiation Therapy Questions Answered

Cancer. Not something you want to have, but you do. You have so many questions in general about cancer, and now you have been told you need to have radiation therapy. That brings so many more questions to your mind.

This article will look at some questions regarding radiation therapy and help you find answers about this treatment.

I have been a radiation therapy patient but am not an expert in radiotherapy. For that reason, I am giving you several articles to read from persons who are much more qualified than I to give you accurate information and resources regarding your upcoming treatments.

What is radiation therapy?

Radiation therapy, also called radiotherapy, is the use of x-rays and other sources of radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors.

What is the purpose of radiation therapy?

Radiation therapy is one form of cancer treatment. It can be given along with chemotherapy and/or surgery to treat cancer, or it can be used alone.

How is radiotherapy used to treat cancer?

Radiotherapy is used to shrink cancer tumors or to kill remaining cancer cells after chemotherapy and/or surgery. Radiation can be used to reduce the size of cancerous tumors before surgery, especially if the tumor is pressing against an organ and causing pain or interference with an organ’s function.

When is radiation therapy given?

Radiation therapy can be given before or after chemotherapy, before or after surgery, or as a treatment of its own.

Where is radiation therapy given?

Radiation therapy is done in a cancer center or a hospital.

What does radiation therapy do?

How does radiation therapy work?

Radiation therapy works by changing the structure of the DNA in cancer cells. Cancer cells divide more rapidly than normal cells. Radiation interrupts the function of DNA in cancer cells which causes the cells to die.

Why is radiation therapy good?

Radiation therapy is good because it attacks cancer cells causing them to die.  After cancer cells die, your body gets rid of the dead cells.

Why is radiation therapy bad?

The bad side of radiation therapy is that radiation does not hit only cancer cells, it affects other healthy cells as well. Normal tissue can also be affected along with cancerous cells.

How is radiation therapy different from chemotherapy?

First, how are they similar?

Both chemotherapy and radiation therapy target and kill cancer cells. But they affect healthy cells also.

How are they different?

While both chemotherapy and radiation therapy attack cancer cells, they do so in much different ways.                                                                                           Chemotherapy uses different chemicals to interrupt cell division of cancer cells which causes them to die.

Radiation therapy uses different sources of radiation to alter the DNA of cancer cells to cause them to stop reproducing and die.

How are chemotherapy and radiation therapies given?

Chemotherapy can be given in several different ways. It can be given through an IV or chemo port which is a very common way. But chemotherapy can also be inserted into an organ in surgery, given as an injection, taken as a pill, or rubbed on the skin in the form of a cream.

Radiation therapy can be delivered by radiation machines, inserted into the body in surgery, given through an IV, or taken as a pill.

Will I be radioactive?

External radiation therapy is given by a machine that emits radiation into your body from the outside. You have no radioactive material in your body when your treatment is finished.

With internal radiation sources, you have radiation put inside your body in some way. This method does continue to emit radiation for a set period. When you receive this type of radiation therapy, you need to limit your time spent around children and pregnant women.

Are there any side effects to radiation therapy?

Yes, radiotherapy does cause side effects. Unfortunately, radiation therapy can’t kill cancer cells without also causing some damage to healthy tissues as well.

What are the goals of radiation therapy?

The goal of radiation therapy is to kill cancer cells, shrink tumors before surgery, and relieve symptoms caused by cancer.

How do I prepare for radiation therapy?

You do not need to do anything special to prepare for your radiation therapy sessions. You will have a planning session at which time you will be prepped for your upcoming treatment sessions. At each session after that, you will arrive for your radiation treatment on time, receive your treatment, then return home to rest.

Please read the very informative articles attached to each section of this blog post by clicking on the header of each section.

Remember, this article is intended to explain to you what radiation therapy is in general. It is not intended to give you instructions on your treatments. That information can only come from your cancer care team.

I do hope you found this article helpful. Please comment below on what you found most helpful in this article.

Wishing you all the best,

Kelly

 Are your cancer screenings up to date?

Yes, I am a nurse. No, I am not your nurse. The medical topics discussed in this, or any article on this site, are intended to be issues for you to discuss with your medical team if you feel they apply to you. None of the information you are about to read in this article is treatment advice for you from me. I do not have that authority.