Understanding Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy, also called radiotherapy, is the careful use of radiation to kill diseased cells safely and effectively while avoiding nearby healthy tissue.

• Radiation oncologists use radiation therapy to cure disease, to control disease growth or to relieve symptoms.
• Radiation therapy works within diseased cells by damaging their ability to grow. When these cells are destroyed by the radiation, the body naturally eliminates them.
• Healthy tissues can also be affected by radiation, but they are usually able to repair themselves in a way that Cancer cells cannot.