Frequently Asked Questions about Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy (also called radiotherapy or RT) uses high-energy radiation from X-rays and other sources to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. More than half of people with cancer get radiation therapy. Sometimes, it’s the only cancer treatment needed.

Radiation is effective in the treatment of cancer because it destroys the reproductive ability of all cells within its path. Both normal and cancer cells are affected; however, most normal cells are able to recover quickly. Radiation therapy is usually given five days a week for several weeks. This schedule helps protect healthy body tissues by spreading out the total dose of radiation and giving weekend rests to allow normal cells to rebuild.

Treatments are often administered every day for five consecutive days as long as you need treatment. This allows your body to receive the most treatment and your healthy cells time to renew.

Radiation can be used to treat cancer in almost every part of the body, either alone or in combination with other treatments, including surgery and medical therapies. Radiation can be used before surgery to shrink a cancerous tumor. After surgery, it can help stop the growth of any cancer cells that may remain. In many cases, radiation is combined with chemotherapy to destroy a cancerous growth and prevent spreading.

Radiation can also reduce pressure, bleeding, pain or other symptoms caused by cancer.

You will not feel pain or other sensations from the treatment.

Neither healthy nor cancerous tissues become radioactive during treatments. You cannot contaminate others.

Unlike chemotherapy, which travels through your entire body, radiation treatments are very precise and localized. Therefore, the side effects of radiation therapy are limited to the area of treatment. Your radiation oncologist will discuss with you any side effects that may occur.

Radiation may come from a machine outside the body (external radiation therapy) or from materials that produce radiation that are placed inside the body (brachytherapy) in the area where the cancer cells are found.

AtlantiCare uses the most advanced technology and tools, such as CyberKnife® stereotactic radiosurgery; Varian RapidArc®; cutting edge linear-accelerators, including intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT), and stereotactic radiosurgery; and VeriSource IR-192 high-dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy, which delivers treatment through radioactive material (called “seeds”) implanted near the tumor site.

During simulation and daily treatments, patients need to be in exactly the same position every day relative to the machines delivering the treatment and performing image scans. We may use a body mold or head mask to ensure proper positioning, and temporary skin marks and tattoos are given to ensure accuracy.

During your radiation therapy, a team of highly trained specialists will care for you. Your team may include a radiation oncologist, radiation physicist, dosimetrist, radiation therapist and radiation therapy nurses. Support staff includes medical oncologists and medical physicists, technicians and more to guide you every step of the way.