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Radiation therapy is a process that uses special kinds of energy waves or particles to fight cancer cells and other diseases. Certain levels of radiation work to destroy cancer cells or prevent cells from growing or reproducing.
Radiation therapy is given through different methods, depending on the type of cancer, the location of the cancer, and the patient's health. Sometimes, radiation therapy is used in combination with other treatments. Radiation therapy is usually delivered one of two ways: external radiation (external beam therapy) or internal radiation (brachytherapy, implant radiation) .
Although each hospital may have specific protocols, at St. John’s Mercy, radiation therapy usually begins with a simulation process followed by a treatment plan determined by the radiation oncologist. The radiation therapy treatments will be based on the patient’s medical history, a physical examination, pathology and laboratory reports.
Radiation therapy may be done after surgery to kill cancer cells that may not be seen during the surgery. Radiation therapy may also be done: prior to surgery to shrink the tumor, in combination with chemotherapy and as a palliative treatment (therapy that relieves symptoms, such as pain, but does not alter the course of the disease).
As each person's individual medical profile and diagnosis is different, so is their reaction to treatment and radiation therapy. Side effects to radiation therapy may be severe, mild, or absent. The side effects often depend on the dose and location of the radiation therapy and if it’s internal or external. The side effects usually relate to the area of the body that is receiving the radiation therapy. The patient’s radiation oncology team should discuss any or all possible side effects of treatment before the radiation therapy begins.
During radiation therapy treatment, a St. John’s Mercy radiation oncologist will carefully monitor the intensity and length of each treatment, and the area being treated. In addition, the patient should have regular physical examinations during the course of their radiation therapy treatments.
Like all medical specialties, the field of therapeutic radiology continues to make advances in knowledge and technology. Many new radiation therapy modalities are being used and studied to find more effective treatments for cancer and other conditions which may be treated with radiation.
At the St. John’s Mercy David C. Pratt Cancer Radiation Oncology Department, medical specialists offer treatment with highly effective radiation therapy equipment. The department is staffed by board-certified radiation oncologists, registered radiation therapists, nurses, medical physicists, dosimetrists, and support staff. The center offers radiation therapy all within a comfortable, healing environment. To learn more about our cancer center, please call 314-251-6400.
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