Radiation Therapy

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy may be an effective way to combat certain types of cancer.  Approximately half of all cancer patients undergo radiation therapy as part of their treatment.  Unlike chemotherapy, radiation therapy is considered a local treatment.  Only cancer cells in the area where the radiation is delivered are affected.  If cancer cells exist outside the area where radiation is targeted, the radiation does not impact them.

The Radiation Treatment Process

To begin your radiation treatment, you will meet your physician and radiation therapy team. Every part of your treatment is planned in advance. We’ll do imaging scans and virtual simulations to determine the correct positions on your body for treatment. Once those have been determined, marks may be made on your skin to ensure correct positioning at each treatment session.

The number of treatments and the length of each session depend on your cancer type and the type of treatment prescribed.

Radiation therapy targets the precise area of the cancer tumor and can be delivered either externally or internally.