Radiotherapy involves the use of ionizing rays (X-ray, gamma, electron, etc.) to destroy malignant cells and prevent their spread. It’s also used, in some cases, to treat benign tumors, causing minimal damage to the healthy tissues surrounding the tumor. This treatment may be used alone as the primary treatment for your illness or as an adjunct to other therapies – before surgery (to reduce tumor size) or after surgery (to cleanse the surgical margin and eliminate tumor remnants). Moreover, radiotherapy can be recommended simultaneously, before, or after chemotherapy, either as a primary or supplementary treatment.

Radiotherapy can be external (when a device outside the body directs radiation at cancer cells) or internal (when a radiation source is placed inside or near the cancer cells). Some patients may receive both types of radiation therapy.

The radiation oncologist, after clinical examinations and reviewing your medical history and diagnostic results, will prescribe radiation therapy if deemed appropriate. Decisions regarding the necessity of radiation, its timing, method, and dose are within the expertise of the radiation oncologist.

Many cancer patients will require radiotherapy. In fact, more than half of all cancer patients undergo radiotherapy. Sometimes, radiotherapy is the only treatment needed. When given in high doses, radiation halts the growth of cancer cells or destroys them. The purpose of radiotherapy is to:

Treat Cancer: Radiotherapy can be used to treat, stop, or reduce the growth of cancer cells

Symptom Relief: If curing the tumor isn’t feasible, radiotherapy can be used to shrink tumor and palliate its symptoms

Radiation doesn’t instantly kill cancer cells. Cells begin to die days to weeks after treatment. This dying process continues for weeks to months after radiotherapy completion

Radiation not only destroys or slows the growth of cancer cells but also affects healthy cells. Healthy cells usually recover after treatment, but sometimes patients experience acute side effects or complications that don’t improve over time. Doctors try to preserve healthy cells during treatment by:

Using the Minimum Dose: The radiotherapy dose is adjusted to be high enough to kill cancer cells but low enough to minimize damage to healthy cells

Spreading the Treatment Over Time: Patients receive radiotherapy once or twice a day for several weeks with a lower dose. Dose splitting allows healthy cells to recover while cancer cells are destroyed

In certain treatment areas, it’s necessary to immobilize the patient during radiotherapy for precision and accuracy. Molds or tools are crafted to maintain the patient’s position consistently throughout the radiotherapy sessions. During the creation of these molds, with collaboration and by following construction guidelines, try to lie down comfortably, flat, motionless, and relaxed.