WHAT IS RADIATION THERAPY?
HOW DOES RADIATION THERAPY WORK?
WHY DOES RADIATION THERAPY CAUSE SIDE EFFECTS?
WILL I BECOME RADIOACTIVE?
WILL MY HAIR FALL OUT?
CAN I GO OUTSIDE INTO THE SUN DURING MY TREATMENTS?
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CHEMOTHERAPY AND RADIATION THERAPY?
HOW LONG WILL I HAVE TO RECEIVE RADIATION THERAPY?

WHAT IS RADIATION THERAPY? (Back To Top)
Radiation therapy is the science of delivering a prescribed dosage of radiation to a pre-planned target volume. The method, amount of radiation, and area of the body to be irradiated is pre-planned by a team of specially trained personnel including the Radiation Oncologist, Radiation Physicist and Medical Dosimetrist.

HOW DOES RADIATION THERAPY WORK? (Back To Top)
All of the cells in your body, both malignant and healthy, contain a genetic material known as DNA. DNA is the material that allows these cells to reproduce. When radiation is introduced to the body, it damages the DNA in the cancer cells, thus when the damaged cells try to reproduce, they die.

WHY DOES RADIATION THERAPY CAUSE SIDE EFFECTS? (Back To Top)
In order to adequately treat a tumor, some of the healthy tissue around the tumor must be included in the treatment field. When damage to the normal cells occurs, some side effects may take place. Fortunately, normal cells are able to repair their DNA while cancer cells do not carry out the self-reparation that healthy cells produce. The side effects from radiation are limited directly to the area that is being treated. For example, if a patient receives treatment to the chest, he or she won't lose hair from the head or experience diarrhea in the pelvis area.

WILL I BECOME RADIOACTIVE? (Back To Top)
The majority of patients are treated with external beam radiation, which is produced from a machine outside of the body, much like having an x-ray procedure. At no time does the patient become radioactive and the patient does not have to utilize radiation safety precautions.

Some patients are treated with radioactive implants that do emit radiation while the source of radiation is in the body. The patient is kept in the hospital during this time to prevent exposure to others. Once this source is removed, there is no residual radiation left in the body and no further precautions need to be taken.

Some patients do receive permanent implants with tiny radioactive seeds that are not removed. The seeds begin to decay and lose their radioactivity immediately, and after a certain period of time, they no longer emit radiation. Radiation precautions do have to be observed by the patient and his/her family for a limited time, but not usually more than a few weeks.

WILL MY HAIR FALL OUT? (Back To Top)
If a patient does not receive radiation to the scalp, he or she will not lose their hair. Radiation directly effects only the area that is treated.

CAN I GO OUTSIDE INTO THE SUN DURING MY TREATMENTS? (Back To Top)
During radiation treatments it is important to protect the area treated from sun exposure and unnecessary heat, as this area can be quite sensitive. This includes not only sun exposure, but also heated jacuzzi's, sauna's, heating pads, etc. Areas of the body not treated with radiation are no more sensitive to the sun or heat than before radiation treatment. If treated in the head and neck area, it is advisable to wear a hat when outside in the sun and/or sunscreen.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CHEMOTHERAPY AND RADIATION THERAPY? (Back To Top)
Chemotherapy is given with drugs, either in pill form or with an injectable type drug. Several drugs may be used in combination, depending on the type of cancer to be treated. This type of treatment is generally used to treat the body systemically (as a whole) and to sterilize any malignant cells that may be circulating within the body.