Radiation therapy - the use of high-energy radiation
to treat cancer -- is an effective way to treat many
kinds of cancer in most every part of the body. At
least half of all people with cancer are treated with
radiation therapy. For many patients, it is the only
type of treatment they need - and can provide a complete
cure for cancer. For those with cancers that cannot
be cured, radiation therapy can bring relief from
pain, bleeding, pressure or other cancer symptoms.
Radiation therapy can be generated externally from
special treatment machines such as linear accelerators
(which use electricity to generate high-energy radiation)
or internally via radioactive substances (also called
Brachytherapy).
Brachytherapy uses radioactive sources that are housed
in small seeds, wires or tubes and placed directly
into a tumor or inserted into a body cavity to give
high-energy radiation to a small area. Depending on
the type of cancer, radiation therapy may be combined
with surgery or chemotherapy (the use of medicine
to treat cancer).
