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Radiation Therapy

What is radiation therapy?

Radiation therapy is the use of a type of energy (radiation) from x-rays, gamma rays, electrons and other sources to destroy cancer cells, either curing or controlling the cancer.

Radiation in high doses destroys cells in the area being treated by damaging the DNA in their genes, making it impossible for them to grow and divide.  During radiation therapy, both cancer cells (which are growing in an uncontrolled way) and healthy cells are affected, but most healthy cells can repair themselves afterwards.

Your Oncologist, Nurse and Radiation Therapist will give you more information about this type of cancer treatment.

At LRCP there are 10 radiation units that typically operate from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday. These units are located on LRCP Level 1.

Why has my radiation oncologist decided to give me radiation therapy?

There are various goals of Radiation Therapy Treatment.  Mainly these include: destroying the cancer or relieving symptoms caused by cancer.  Radiation Therapy is either received alone, or along with other treatments, such as Chemotherapy or Surgery, or both.

How does radiation therapy work?

Radiation therapy works by killing or damaging cancer cells.  A few normal cells are also damaged during treatment, and this may cause some side effects.  Normal cells can repair themselves, but cancer cells cannot.

There are two ways to deliver radiation therapy:

External beam radiation therapy is radiation directed at the cancer and surrounding tissue from a machine outside the body.  It is used to treat most solid types of cancer.  Internal Radiation Therapy, called Brachytherapy, is sealed radioactive sources placed within the body, in or near the tumour.

London Regional Cancer Program has produced a video to help you understand your radiation therapy treatment:

A Ray of Hope.

Helpful Links:

Canadian Cancer Society – Radiation

Therapy Mayo Clinic (USA) MD

Anderson Cancer Center