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Radiation is a special kind of energy carried by waves or a stream of particles. It can come from special machines or from radioactive substances. Many years ago doctors learned how to use this energy to see inside the body and find disease. You've probably seen a chest x-ray or x-ray pictures of your teeth or your bones. When radiation is used at high doses (many times those used for x-ray exams), it can be used to treat cancer and other illnesses. Special equipment is used to aim the radiation at tumors or areas of the body where there is disease. The use of high-energy rays or particles to treat disease is called radiation therapy.
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High doses of radiation can kill cells or keep them from growing and dividing. Radiation therapy is a useful tool for treating cancer because cancer cells grow and divide more rapidly than many of the normal cells around them. Although some normal cells are affected by radiation, most normal cells recover more fully from the effects of radiation than do cancer cells. Doctors carefully limit the intensity of treatments and the area being treated so that the cancer will be affected more than normal tissue.
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Radiation therapy is an effective way to treat many kinds of cancer in almost any part of the body. Half of all people with cancer are treated with radiation, and the number of cancer patients who have been cured is rising every day. For many patients, radiation is the only kind of treatment needed. Thousands of people are free of cancer after having radiation treatments alone or in combination with surgery or chemotherapy. Doctors can use radiation before surgery to shrink a tumor. After surgery, radiation therapy may be used to stop the growth of any cancer cells that remain. In some cases, doctors use radiation along with anticancer drugs to destroy the cancer, instead of surgery.
Even when curing the cancer is not possible, radiation therapy still can bring relief. Many patients find the quality of their lives improved when radiation therapy is used to shrink tumors and reduce pressure, bleeding, pain, or other symptoms of cancer. This is called palliative care.
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Like many other treatments for disease, there are risks for patients who are receiving radiation therapy. The brief high doses of radiation that damage or destroy cancer cells also can hurt normal cells. When this happens, the patient has side effects. The risk of side effects is usually less than the benefits of killing cancer cells.
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Radiation therapy can be in either of two forms: external or internal. Some patients have both forms, one after the other. Most people who receive radiation therapy for cancer have the external type. It is usually given during outpatient visits to a hospital or treatment center. In external therapy, a machine directs the high-energy rays or particles at the cancer and the normal tissue surrounding it.
The type of radiation machine utilized at our centers are called a linear accelerator. This machine can work in two different modes. One mode is better for treating cancers near the skin surface, the other work best on cancers deeper in the body. Your doctor decides which machine mode is best for you.
When internal radiation therapy is used, a radioactive substance, or source, is sealed in small containers such as thin wires or tubes called implants. The implant is placed directly into a tumor or inserted into a body cavity. Sometimes, after a tumor has been removed by surgery, implants are put into the area around the incision to kill any tumor cells that may remain.
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A doctor who has had special training in using radiation to treat disease--a radiation oncologist--will prescribe the type and amount of treatment that best suits your needs.
The radiation oncologist works closely with other doctors involved in your care and also heads a highly trained health care team. Your radiation therapy team may include:
The radiation physicist, who makes sure that the equipment is working properly and ensures that the machines deliver the right dose of radiation.
The dosimetrist, who helps carry out your treatment plan by calculating the number of treatments and how long each treatment should last.
The radiation therapy nurse, who provides nursing care and helps you learn about treatment and how to manage side effects.
The radiation therapist, who sets you up for your treatments and runs the equipment that delivers the radiation.
You also may use the services of a dietitian, a physical therapist, a social worker, and other health care professionals.
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Treatment of cancer with radiation can be costly. It requires very complex equipment and the services of many health care professionals. The exact cost of your radiation therapy will depend on the type and number of treatments you need.
Most health insurance policies, including Part B of Medicare, cover charges for radiation therapy. It's a good idea to talk with your doctor's office staff or the hospital business office about your policy and how expected costs will be paid.
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