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Medical Disability Advisor  >  Radiation Therapy  >  Reason For Procedure

Radiation Therapy

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Factors Influencing Duration

The type and stage of the cancer are the most important factors in determining the length of disability. The side effects of radiation therapy also influence disability, as they vary depending on the treatment dose, part of the body treated, and general health of the individual.

Medical Codes

ICD-9-CM:
92.2 - Radiation Therapy; Therapeutic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine
92.21 - Superficial Radiation; Contact Radiation [Up to KVP]
92.22 - Orthovoltage Radiation; Deep Radiation [200-300 KVP]
92.23 - Radioisotopic Teleradiotherapy; Teleradiotherapy Using: Cobalt, Iodine-125, Radioactive Cesium
92.24 - Teleradiotherapy Using Photons; Megavoltage NOS; Supervoltage NOS; Use of: Betatron Linear Accelerator
92.26 - Teleradiotherapy of Other Particulate Radiation; Neutrons; Protons NOS

Reason for Procedure

Radiation therapy may be used in the early stages of cancer to cure or control the disease. Radiation therapy can be given prior to surgery to shrink the size of the tumor. After a cancerous tumor (malignancy) is surgically removed, radiation may be used to destroy any remaining tumor cells in the area. Radiation therapy can also have an advantage over surgery by preserving more function or having an improved cosmetic result.

Radiation therapy may help relieve pain from cancer that is too far advanced to be curable. For example, reducing the size of a tumor can relieve pressure on the esophagus that inhibits swallowing. It can relieve pain caused by cancer that has spread to bone or relieve headaches or paralysis caused by a brain tumor.

Noncancerous (benign) conditions may also be treated with radiation therapy when the benefits of destroying diseased tissue far outweigh the risk of radiation damage to healthy skin. For example, an overactive thyroid gland can be treated with radiation in a liquid form. This radioactive iodine concentrates in the thyroid gland and destroys the overactive part of the gland.

Source: Medical Disability Advisor






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