Radiation therapy is a treatment that helps to treat cancer. Radiation therapy is a treatment that targets tumor cells using high-energy particles called photons. Gamma rays and x-rays have the highest energy of all the types of photons. Linear accelerators and radioactive sources produce high-energy photon beams. Radiation treatment alters the structure of cells along its path. Photons carry negative charges called electrons and neutral particles known as neutrons.
The treatment involves either directly damaging the cancer cells or creating charged particles within them. The damaged cells either stop dividing or die. The body will then break them down. In some cases, radiation therapy can cure a cancer patient, but it does not cure the disease. This treatment is usually used in conjunction with other treatments. The aim is to reduce the risk of the patient’s life and ease the symptoms of the disease.
Radiation therapy may be combined with chemotherapy to treat a patient with cancer. This type of therapy is also used to treat tumors in the eye, such as melanoma. The beam is delivered by a radiation source attached to the eyes. Seeds are placed in the eye to deliver radiation and then decay naturally. The decaying isotopes target the cancer cells nearby and stop giving off radiation after a few weeks or months. In contrast, high-dose-rate radiation therapy uses a robotic machine to guide radioactive sources into the tumor. The machine then takes out the sources at the end.
Radiation therapy has been used for more than a century as a proven treatment for cancer. Radiation therapy focuses on the fact that tumor cells grow at a faster rate than normal tissue. The radiation also causes chromosomal harm, which kills cancer cells. However, normal cells should be able to repair the damage done to the DNA by the radiation. Another key benefit of this treatment is that the cells are more likely to be regenerated after radiation.
Chemotherapy is another type of treatment. It focuses on killing cancer cells by destroying their DNA. The chemotherapy also targets cancer cells by destroying their DNA. The drugs cannot distinguish between cancer cells and healthy cells so they can also cause damage to healthy cells. This can have negative side effects. It is important that you understand the risks and benefits associated with each treatment option. The type of cancer a person has will determine the best treatment option.