So there are three main ways to treat cancer– surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Many cancer patients need a combination of the three– sometimes all of them.
Surgery is good for cutting out tumors.
Chemotherapy is good for killing tiny cancer cells that are throughout the body.
And radiation therapy is good for treating specific areas in the body that have tumors that cannot be cut out by surgery, or places where surgery has likely left cancer cells behind. Radiation therapy sounds scary, but it really is a powerful and effective weapon in the fight against cancer. Sometimes, it’s the best choice.
So what is radiation? Radiation is part of the “electromagnetic spectrum” that includes common things we use everyday! For instance, radio waves, and microwaves are lower energy components of this spectrum.
Radiation for cancer treatment is on a higher energy. Think of it as a more powerful x-ray. That’s why it’s called “ionizing radiation”.
How does radiation work? Well, scientists have discovered that when ionizing radiation hits a cancer cell, the DNA of the cancer cell can be damaged in a lethal way. Fortunately, normal cells have mechanisms to repair effects from ionizing radiation.
That’s why we use this to our advantage. Bad cells die. Good cells can repair. Good guys win.
How is radiation given? The most common way is through a machine called a “linear accelerator”. These machines are designed to be very precise– which something very important if you’re needing to aim the right spot! The patient lies down on a treatment table, and the machine rotates around to precise angles.
(Pictured: A linear accelerator for radiation therapy.)
There are side effects from radiation. The specific radiation side effects will depend on the exact location where the radiation is directed at.
Radiation from a linear accelerator will not make you “glow in the dark”. In other words, once that machine turns off, you are not “radioactive”, and you can not pass your radiation to other people. (However, it’s a different story if you are getting radionuclides injected into your body, or if you’re getting radiation sources implanted inside. In those cases, yes– you are considered “radioactive” for a period of time.)
A Radiation Oncologist is a doctor who specializes in correctly prescribing radiation therapy.
Radiation therapy is an effective cancer treatment. But it does have side effects that are specific to the area that’s being treated. Learning about what to expect is an important step in preparing for the journey.
Would you like to learn more about radiation? Click on the link below.