How Does Radiation Therapy Help With the Treatment of Cancer?
Introduction
When a cell becomes damaged and starts to grow out of control, it is considered cancerous. These cells continue to grow uncontrollably until large masses called tumors are formed and begin to crowd out the functions of the organs around or near the affected area. To help stop the growth of these cells, a common form of treatment is radiation.
What is Medical Radiation?
The radiation that is used to treat cancer is a form of energy that comes in waves. When directed in a stream on a specific area, the radiation waves can manipulate the DNA of the cancerous cells. The radiation that is used for cancer treatments breaks off a piece of the DNA in the cancerous cells so that the cell can no longer divide and grow.
Process
Radiation can be given internally, externally or systemically. Internal radiation involves implanting pellets or wires that transmit radiation a limited distance. This kills cancer cells within a specified radius of the implant. External radiation involves the use of specialized equipment that emit a concentrated beam of radiation at a specific cancer affected area. Systemic radiation involves the use of radiopharmaceuticals. These drugs when taken or injected congregate and are released in the areas affected by cancer in the body. These are most often used for bone and thyroid cancers.
Radiation vs. Chemotherapy
Another common form of cancer treatment is called chemotherapy. Radiation differs from chemotherapy in that only a specific area is targeted. This allows the treatment to only affect the part of the body that has become infected with cancer. Both forms of treatment target cells that multiply at an accelerated rate. However, since radiation is localized, there is less overall damage of healthy cells, with just as good of results on the cancer stricken area. Unfortunately, when cancer has started spreading to other parts of the body, chemotherapy becomes the better treatment option as it targets cancer cells throughout the body.
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