| Radiation therapy is the use of radiation that forms ions as it passes through tissue, which dislodges electrons from atoms. Radiation alters DNA, the genetic code that controls how a cell grows and divides, causing the cell to die. Since cancer cells grow and divide more rapidly than normal cells, radiation therapy preferentially affects cancerous tissue. About half of all individuals who undergo treatment for cancer receive radiation therapy.
Radiation therapy may be used as the only type of treatment in cancers such as Hodgkin's disease. Radiation therapy may also be used as an adjuvant therapy. Adjuvant radiation therapy is treatment given in addition to other treatments, such as surgery or chemotherapy, to prevent recurrence of the cancer. Radiation may be given both before (neoadjuvant) and after surgical treatment. Radiation therapy can be combined with chemotherapy, and in such cases both the radiation therapy and the chemotherapy may have to be reduced. A reduction in doses decreases the risk of side effects and complications. |
Source: Medical Disability Advisor