While scientists have yet to find a cure for cancer, doctors have come up with ways to treat and suppress cancer growth through radiation oncology.
Radiation oncology is a clinical and scientific study devoted to the management of patients with cancer and other non-malignant conditions. Through the use of ionizing radiation or in combination with surgery and/or chemotherapy, these radiation treatments have become a huge advancement in today's science world. These studies are highly developed and require a team of experienced medical staffers, physicists, nurses, biomedical scientists, computer scientists, engineers, radiotherapy technologists, intuitionalists, social workers and many others.
Radiation therapy (irradiation) is the use of high energy radiation, mostly X-rays, to kill cancer cells. This can be used with surgery, chemotherapy, and biologic therapy to cure and control cancer in patients.
Since the discovery of radioactivity and the development of X-rays, scientists have found that radiation can cause damage to cells by interfering with the cell's ability to grow and reproduce. Cells that are growing are especially sensitive and susceptible to damage from radiation. Cancer cells reproduce more frequently than normal cells do, so they are more susceptible to radiation. Normal cells can also be affected by radiation oncology, but most normal cells can recover from radiation damage. When radiation treatments are actually given to a patient, special care is taken to make sure that as much normal tissue as possible is spared from the radiation exposure. This radiation dosage is carefully measured and aimed to kill as many cancer cells as possible without affecting the normal tissues in the body.
Like most treatments and surgeries, there are risks and benefits from treating cancer with radiation. Radiation oncology can be used to treat almost any type of cancer almost anywhere on the body. When radiation is combined with surgery, these treatments may be given pre-operatively. In this case, the radiation can be used to decrease the size of a tumor or make removal easier. Most commonly, the radiation treatments will be given with a combination of chemotherapy treatments. With treatments of any disease, there are many risks involved. In damaging cancer cells, some normal cells may be damaged along the way, resulting in side effects. Some side effects of radiation treatment include bladder irritation, fatigue, diarrhea, mouth irritation, taste alterations, loss of appetite, hair loss, and skin changes. Most of these changes and effects are due to the low count of cells that are damaged or lost through the radiation process. After treatments, these cells grow back and are replaced with healthy new cells. Other potential side effects will be explained to you by your oncologist or oncology nurse. All sorts of precautions are taken to reduce the effects of these treatments and many people complete these treatments without any difficulty at all. Many of these side effects can be worth it because the reward of this radiation process can be life.
By Jessica Maughan