RADIATION THERAPY
is a
powerful weapon in the fight against
cancer. So much so, in fact, that
more than half of all people battling
the disease receive it as part of their
treatment, reports the American Society
of Clinical Oncology.
If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer,
it’s helpful to know about this common
cancer-fighting tool.
Potent energy
Radiation therapy uses strong beams of
energy to attack cells that are growing
uncontrollably. There are two main types of
this therapy. Both destroy the DNA in cells,
causing them to stop dividing or to die.
External beam radiation
is used
most often. It’s delivered by a machine
that moves around the outside of the body.
With computer guidance, doctors can
adjust the size and shape of the radiation
beam so that it targets cancer cells while
minimizing damage to surrounding tissues.
Delivery of the radiation takes just one
to five minutes, according to the National
Cancer Institute. But each full visit may
take 30 minutes or more. The treatment
does not make you radioactive.
Internal radiation therapy
attacks
cancer from inside the body. Often, it
comes from radioactive seeds, ribbons or
capsules that are placed within or near a
tumor.
Sometimes this is done with a needle.
Or doctors may deliver the radiation
source with a small tube, called a catheter,
or a larger device, known as an applicator.
The implant itself may be left in the body
for just a few moments at a time on a
repeated schedule or for several days
straight. While the implants are in place,
Use caution with
supplements
Supplements and cancer
treatments don’t always mix. So
if you’re about to begin treatment
and you’re taking—or considering
taking—a vitamin or a botanical or
herbal product, it’s crucial to talk
with your doctor.
Many people think natural
products are always safe. But
often they have biologically
active compounds. When these
compounds mix with therapies
your doctor orders, it can be
especially risky.
Certain herbs, for example,
might interfere with the way a
chemotherapy drug is absorbed
or passed from the body. That
might cause less of the drug that
is needed to kill cancer cells to
circulate in your bloodstream.
On the other hand, in some
cases, too much of the drug may
stay in your body. That could lead
to serious side effects.
Even vitamins can prove
troublesome. Taking vitamin E,
for instance, might interfere
with radiation therapy’s ability to
destroy cancer cells.
Sources: American Cancer Society; National Cancer Institute
We treat many types of
cancer with radiation
therapy. To learn more,
call the
Gerald and
Dorothy Volm Cancer
Center
at
715-623-9587
.
Understanding
radiation therapy
Treatment can attack cancer from outside or inside the body
you should avoid close contact with
others because you are radioactive. But
once the implants are removed, it’s safe to
be near people.
In some cases, implants stay in the
body permanently. Over time, the
radiation weakens and becomes less
dangerous for others.
Internal radiation may be used for
cancers of the head, neck, breast, uterus,
cervix, prostate, gallbladder, esophagus,
eye and lung. Sometimes liquid internal
radiation—either swallowed or given
intravenously—is used for thyroid cancer
and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
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Pathways •
