Also called: Also called: Brachytherapy, Radiotherapy
Radiation is a form of energy released in particles or waves. In high doses, radiation destroys cells or keeps them from multiplying.
Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment. Its goal is to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Unlike cancer cells, most of your normal cells recover from radiation therapy. Doctors try to protect normal cells by limiting the radiation dosage and spreading treatment out over time. When they use radiation machines, they shield as much of your body as possible while targeting the cancer.
The radiation for cancer treatment comes externally, from special machines, or internally, from radioactive substances that a doctor places in your body. Sometimes radiation is used with other treatments, like surgery or chemotherapy.
National Cancer Institute
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JAMA Patient Page: Radiation Therapy(American Medical Association) - http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/294/10/1296.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/data/294/10/1296/DC1/1
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Radiation Therapy and You: Support for People with Cancer
(National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/radiation-therapy-and-you/
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Understanding Radiation Therapy: A Guide for Patients and Families(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/ETO_1_5x_radiation_therapy_guide_for_patients_and_families.asp
Also available in Spanish http://www.cancer.org/docroot/esp/content/esp_2_1x_radioterapia_una_guia.asp?
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Radiation Therapy for Cancer: Questions and Answers(National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Therapy/radiation
- Radiation Therapy Principles(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/eto_1_3_Radiation_Therapy.asp
- Prostate Irradiation Raises Risk of Colon Cancer(09/03/2008, Reuters Health) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_68838.html
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Brachytherapy(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=brachy
Also available in Spanish http://www.radiologyinfo.org/sp/info.cfm?pg=brachy
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External Beam Therapy (EBT)(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=ebt
Also available in Spanish http://www.radiologyinfo.org/sp/info.cfm?pg=ebt
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Gamma Knife(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?PG=gamma_knife&bhcp=1
Also available in Spanish http://www.radiologyinfo.org/sp/info.cfm?pg=gamma_knife
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Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?PG=imrt
Also available in Spanish http://www.radiologyinfo.org/sp/info.cfm?pg=imrt
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Linear Accelerator (LINAC)(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=linac
Also available in Spanish http://www.radiologyinfo.org/sp/info.cfm?pg=linac
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Proton Therapy(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?PG=protonthera&bhcp=1
Also available in Spanish http://www.radiologyinfo.org/sp/info.cfm?pg=protonthera
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Stereotactic Radiosurgery(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?PG=stereotactic
Also available in Spanish http://www.radiologyinfo.org/sp/info.cfm?pg=stereotactic&bhcp=1
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What to Know about Brachytherapy (A Type of Internal Radiation Therapy)
(National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wtk/brachytherapy
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What to Know about External Beam Radiation Therapy(National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wtk/ebrt
- Low Blood Cell Counts: Side Effect of Cancer Treatment(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/cancer-treatment/CA00066/METHOD=print
- Radiation Injury to the Brain(International Radiosurgery Support Association) - http://www.irsa.org/radiation_injury.html
- Radiation Oncology Treatment Team(American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology) - Links to PDF - http://www.rtanswers.org/brochures/documents/treatmentteambrochure.pdf
- Radiation Therapy and Side Effects on Sexuality(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/MIT/MIT_7_1x_RadiationTherapyandSideEffectsonSexuality.asp
- Radiation Therapy Effects(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/MBC/MBC_2x_RadiationEffects.asp
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What to Do about Changes When You Urinate(National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wtk/urination
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What to Do about Feeling Sick to Your Stomach and Throwing Up(National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wtk/nausea
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What to Do about Hair Loss (Alopecia)(National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wtk/hairloss
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What to Do about Mild Skin Changes - http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wtk/skin
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What to Do When You Feel Weak or Tired (Fatigue)(National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wtk/fatigue
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What to Do When You Have Loose Stools (Diarrhea)(National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wtk/diarrhea
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What to Do When Your Mouth or Throat Hurts - http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wtk/mouthandthroat
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Radiotherapy(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/intervention=radiotherapy
- FAQ for Patients (Clinical Trials)(Radiation Therapy Oncology Group) - http://www.rtog.org/faqpatient.html
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Dexamethasone Helps Control Radiation-Induced Nausea and Vomiting(National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/results/dexamethasone0806
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Monoclonal antibody therapy for B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18687642&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Stereotactic drainage and Gamma Knife radiosurgery of cystic brain metastasis. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18671638&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Clinical and neuroimaging outcome of cerebral arteriovenous malformations after Gamma... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18671629&tool=MedlinePlus
- Radiation Therapy -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=radiotherapy[majr]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+(jsubsetk[text]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text])+NOT+(case+reports[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+letter[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Glossary of Radiation Therapy Terms(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_1_8X_Glossary_of_Radiation_Therapy_Terms.asp
- Radiosurgery Definitions(International Radiosurgery Support Association) - http://www.irsa.org/definitions.html
- American College of Radiology Accredited Facility Search(American College of Radiology) - http://www.acr.org/accreditation/AccreditedFacilitySearch.aspx
- Find a Radiation Oncologist(American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology) - http://www.rtanswers.org/dictionary/doctor_find.htm
- International Radiosurgery Support Association - http://www.irsa.org/
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National Cancer Institute - http://www.cancer.gov/
- RadiologyInfo(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/
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Radiation Therapy(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/health_problems/cancer/radiation.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/kid/en_espanol/comunes/radiation_esp.html
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Radiation Therapy(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/system/doctor/radiation.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/general/radiation_esp.html
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Radiation Therapy(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/diseases_conditions/cancer/radiation.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/teen/en_espanol/enfermedades/radiation_esp.html
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What Men Can Do about Changes in Sexuality and Fertility(National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wtk/men-fertility
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What Women Can Do about Changes in Sexuality and Fertility(National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wtk/women-fertility
- Diagnostic Imaging - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/diagnosticimaging.html
- Cancers - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/cancers.html
- Surgery and Rehabilitation - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/surgeryandrehabilitation.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Radiation Therapy is the National Cancer Institute - http://www.nci.nih.gov/
Radiation Therapy - Multiple Languages - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/radiationtherapy.html