Essay about Radiation Therapy

Radiotherapy, also called radiation therapy, is the treatment of cancer and other diseases with radiation. Radiotherapy is used when the entire primary tumor cannot be surgically removed. Radiotherapy deposits energy

Furthermore, X-ray of higher energy than required for imaging is used for radiation therapy. The radiation therapy makes use of ionization radiation (and no images) for the treatment of diseases, such as

The process of radiation therapy uses small amounts of very high-energy radiation to destroy the cancerous cells, making them unable to reproduce. "About 60% of all patients with cancer receive radiation therapy for curative intent, tumor control, or palliation of

Treatment plan could involve chemotherapy, radiation therapy, stem cell transplant, or possibly surgery. The chemotherapy given to the patient will most likely be through an IV, but can possibly be taken by mouth. Though this form of treatment can be extremely helpful, it can also cause potential side effects such as loss of hair, fatigue, decreased immune system, or stomatitis. Radiation therapy may be used either alone, or in addition to chemotherapy. This method is usually done with a machine that delivers high-energy radiation from the outside of the body to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. This method is sometimes preferred, as it can target a small area of the body. Similar to chemotherapy, side effects may accompany radiation therapy. These can include: fatigue, sensitive skin, and various other problems to the area and surrounding areas that undergo

Surgery is used to efficiently remove parts of the body containing cancerous cells. This includes the tumours, normal tissue around the tumour and lymph nodes. If they didn't remove the normal tissue that surrounds the tumour and it contained cancerous cells, then the cancer could redevelop. Chemotherapy is a form of drug therapy that uses either one type or numerous types of chemotherapy drugs combined to slow down the growth of cancer cells and eliminate them. Other types of drug therapy include hormonal therapy, biological therapy and targeted therapy. Radiation therapy focuses high concentrations of radiation onto the area containing cancer cells to damage them. This treatment has daily sessions to repeat the process, the cancer cells don’t heal before the next treatment and they die, while normal cells aren't affected because they are able to repair. Since radiation can permanently damage healthy cells, doctors must use a precise amount of radiation to destroy the cancer cells, but leave normal cells intact.

Radiation comes in different forms and is around us all day sometimes dangerous other times not. Radiation can be used under various categories such as communication, science and medical usage. The main focus surrounding these groups is medical because it is used to findings, test and analyze both treatments and research. Radiation uses X-rays and gamma rays for medical use. For example, X- rays are used identify if bones are fracture or broken. X-rays is usually used during radiology with specialized equipment like computerized tomography, cardiology, mammography and magnetic resonance imagining. Radiation is also used for treatment of diseases or cancer known as therapy. Oncology

Radiation therapy can help us fight off cancer, and reduce the pain caused by cancer. Radiation can also be given to a patient before a surgery to help either improve the cure rates or to make the surgery easier. It could even replace the need of surgery all

When a patient is receiving radiation therapy the goal is to eliminate large proportions of cancer cells along with the death of microscopic disease. Radiation therapy has the ability to shrink tumors while being relatively safe for the patient (Cancer Quest, 2017). In doing so it can ease the pain and discomfort of cancer symptoms, preserve organs, and the possibility of stimulating an immune response against tumors.

Radiation in general can be considered as double-edged sword because it may cause cancer, and at the same time it may be considered as an effective modality to treat it.

Radiation therapy is an important practice in a lot of hospital and clinics many people are not aware of. It is also known as Radiation Oncology, and it is for the treatment of cancer by using beams of high-energy waves called radiation as the UI Cancer Information Services defined it. Radiation therapy plays important role in helping cure cancer. Radiation therapy is given to cancer patients in order to kill the cancer cells or it may slower the growth of cancer cells (UI Cancer Information Services, 2011). Therapy can be used to reduce pain or pressure by shrinking tumor, in cases where cure is not possible. There are various methods to do the therapy and patient may receive one or combination of techniques depending upon the size,

People say you can’t fight fire with fire, however, radiation can do just that. Although radiation is known to cause many types of cancer, it is also one of the most effective cures. Radiation as a treatment has been used for years, but in recent years, modern technology allows radiation to become more effective and precise. Radiation is a positive treatment for cancer because it kills cancer cells, it is non-invasive, and it prevents cancer from coming back.

Radiation therapy, also known as irradiation or x-ray therapy, uses high-energy particles or waves to destroy cancer cells. Ionizing radiation used in cancer treatment ionizes the atoms, effectively obliterating the cells and DNA so that cells cannot further divide. “Radiation can be given alone or used with other treatments, such as surgery and chemotherapy. In fact, certain drugs are known to be radio-sensitizers. This means

The side effects of radiation therapy are different from patient to patient. The two types of side effects are acute and chronic. Acute occur during the treatment and basically go away from the end of the treatment. The acute side effects are fatigue, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, mouth sore, loss of hair, and alopecia. Chronic occurs years after radiation therapy and it can become permanent.

For instance, cancer treated with radiotherapy that consists of gamma radiation and x-radiation. The main difference between gamma rays and X-rays is the production leading to the intensity. Gamma rays being able to penetrate better are produced when atomic nuclei decay, and X-rays are produced when electrons hit a target or when they are rearranged within an atom. 39.6% of the men and women in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer and 50% of all the patients with cancer will be treated with radiotherapy (3). Radiotherapy is a precise method used to fight cancer compared to other methods, it is designed to more accurately target and destroy cancer cells, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it gets rid of all of the cancer cells within say a tumor or cancerous growth.(18). Another drawback is that radiotherapy doesn’t necessarily have the best precision because the radiation can also hit the surrounding organs or cells that do not have cancer, which may debilitate structure and function of those areas. When radiotherapy is used in the abdominal area of the body it can affect the spleen, potentially causing irreversible damage. Two-point-three percent of the cancer patients have cancer in their abdominal area. This includes bladder, colon, rectum, kidney, renal pelvis, liver, pancreas, and stomach

This actually helps shrink the tumors, rather than just diagnose them. It uses high-energy radiation to help cure the tumors and kill the cancer cells. Gamma rays and charged particles are types of radiation used for cancer treatment. Treatment can be delivered in two ways; a machine outside the body which is an external beam, or a radioactive material that is placed in the body near the cancer cells, which is called brachytherapy (radiation therapy for cancer, n.d.). Radiation therapy is different from chemotherapy, which exposes the whole body to cancer-fighting drugs. Radiation therapy, on the other hand, is local, its aimed at, and effects only the parts it needs to. The, “goal is to damage cancer cells without harming healthy cells” (How does radiation therapy work, 2015). Radiation therapy is preferred to chemotherapy because it tends to not harm the rest of the body, just the spot that is needed. Radiation therapy is a good option when someone is diagnosed with cancer, even with the