The disease and the treatment
Cancer is, unfortunately, a common disease. Half of all men and one-third of
all women in the United States will develop cancer during their lifetimes. Today,
millions of people are living with cancer or have had cancer.
Cancer develops when cells in a part of the body begin
to grow without control. It usually forms as a tumor – an abnormal
mass of tissue that results from uncontrolled cell division.
Some tumors are not cancerous. These benign tumors do not metastasize, or
spread to other parts of the body. Malignant tumors are cancerous and must
be treated.
Malignant tumors may be treated with surgery, chemotherapy, hyperthermia,
radiation therapy, or combinations of these.
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy directs a stream of high-energy particles or waves – x-rays,
gamma rays, electrons, or protons – directly at the tumor site or where
the cancer is located in the body. The radiation forms ions as it passes through
tissues; the ionization works to kill the cells or alter their genetic code.
It is one of the most common treatments for cancer and is used in more than
half of all cancer cases. Radiation therapy may be the only treatment you receive.
There are a number of possible uses for radiation in cancer treatment:
• It may be used in early stage cancers to cure or control the disease
• It may be used before surgery to shrink the tumor or after surgery to
prevent the cancer from recurring
• It may be used to treat symptoms such as pain caused by the cancer that
has spread from the original site
• It may be used in situations where a type of cancer is known to commonly
spread to a particular area; that area may be treated to keep spreading cells
from
becoming cancerous
Radiation therapy treatment is usually given on a daily basis for several
weeks.
Who will be on your team?
During your radiation therapy, you will be cared for by a team of medical professionals.
Generally, the team is comprised of the following:
A radiation oncologist is specially trained to use radiation to treat cancer
patients and will make many of the decisions regarding your treatment.
A radiation physicist makes sure that the radiation equipment is working properly
and that it delivers the right dose of radiation as prescribed by your doctor.
A dosimetrist assists the physician by planning and calculating how much radiation
is given during each treatment.
A radiation therapist operates the radiation equipment and positions you for
treatment.
| 
