Monthly Archives: November 2009

Should I follow a special diet while I am getting radiation therapy?

By admin | Published: November 13, 2009
Your body uses a lot of energy to heal during radiation therapy. It is important that you eat enough calories and protein to keep your weight the same during this time. Ask your doctor or nurse if you need a special diet while you are getting radiation therapy. You might also find it helpful to [...]
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Who is on my radiation therapy team?

By admin | Published: November 13, 2009
Many people help with your radiation treatment and care. This group of health care providers is often called the “radiation therapy team.” They work together to provide care that is just right for you. Your radiation therapy team can include: Radiation oncologist. This is a doctor who specializes in using radiation therapy to treat cancer. He [...]
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Is radiation therapy used with other types of cancer treatment?

By admin | Published: November 13, 2009
Yes, radiation therapy is often used with other cancer treatments. Here are some examples: Radiation therapy and surgery. Radiation may be given before, during, or after surgery. Doctors may use radiation to shrink the size of the cancer before surgery, or they may use radiation after surgery to kill any cancer cells that remain. Sometimes, radiation [...]
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Does radiation therapy hurt?

By admin | Published: November 13, 2009
No, radiation therapy does not hurt while it is being given. But the side effects that people may get from radiation therapy can cause pain or discomfort. This book has a lot of information about ways that you, your doctor, and your nurse can help manage side effects.
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What does radiation therapy do to healthy cells?

By admin | Published: November 13, 2009
Radiation not only kills or slows the growth of cancer cells, it can also affect nearby healthy cells. The healthy cells almost always recover after treatment is over. But sometimes people may have side effects that do not get better or are severe. Doctors try to protect healthy cells during treatment by: Using as low a [...]
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How long does radiation therapy take to work?

By admin | Published: November 13, 2009
Radiation therapy does not kill cancer cells right away. It takes days or weeks of treatment before cancer cells start to die. Then, cancer cells keep dying for weeks or months after radiation therapy ends.
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What does radiation therapy do to cancer cells?

By admin | Published: November 13, 2009
Given in high doses, radiation kills or slows the growth of cancer cells. Radiation therapy is used to: Treat cancer. Radiation can be used to cure, stop, or slow the growth of cancer. Reduce symptoms. When a cure is not possible, radiation may be used to shrink cancer tumors in order to reduce pressure. Radiation therapy used [...]
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Who gets radiation therapy?

By admin | Published: November 13, 2009
Many people with cancer need radiation therapy. In fact, more than half (about 60 percent) of people with cancer get radiation therapy. Sometimes, radiation therapy is the only kind of cancer treatment people need.
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How is radiation therapy given?

By admin | Published: November 13, 2009
Radiation therapy can be external beam (when a machine outside your body aims radiation at cancer cells) or internal (when radiation is put inside your body, in or near the cancer cells). Sometimes people get both forms of radiation therapy. To learn more about external beam radiation therapy, see “External Beam Radiation Therapy”. To learn [...]
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Fighting Cancer and Radiation treatments

By admin | Published: November 13, 2009
What is radiation therapy? Radiation therapy (also called radiotherapy) is a cancer treatment that uses high doses of radiation to kill cancer cells and stop them from spreading. At low doses, radiation is used as an x-ray to see inside your body and take pictures, such as x-rays of your teeth or broken bones. Radiation [...]
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