Defining Radiation Therapy:
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Radiation Therapy is the medical use of ionizing radiation. Ionizing radiation is a type of radiation that is generated by x-ray procedures, radioactive substances, rays entering the Earth's atmosphere from outer space, etc. When exposed to high doses, patients respond to ionizing radiation with increased chemical activity inside cells.
This can result in some health risks. One such health risk is cancer. Ionizing radiation is often used as an integral aspect of an effective cancer treatment plan. When ionizing radiation is used in the midst of cancer treatment it's meant as a control. It should control the malignant cells. Ionizing radiation is sometimes called radiotherapy or radiation oncology.
Forms of Treatment:
Radiation Therapy can be both curative and adjuvant treatment. Curative treatment is a treatment intended as a cure. Adjuvant treatment is intended as an additional treatment that is usually given after the primary treatment. It is meant to lower the risk that the cancer will come back post-treatment.
Types of adjuvant therapy include: chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormone therapy, targeted therapy, or biological therapy. Adjuvant therapies are used as a palliative treatment. They can also be used as a therapeutic treatment. Palliative treatments are put in place to attempt to control local disease/relieve symptoms when there is no possible cure. Therapeutic treatments are put in place in order to increase survival and/or provide a cure.
Total Body Irradiation (TBI) is a form of radiation therapy. It is often used in combination with surgery, chemotherapy or hormone therapies to generate the most effective treatment plans. Most types of common cancer can be treated by radiotherapy in one way or another. The type of tumor being treated, the location of the tumor and the patient's general health determine treatment intent.
Radiation therapy is one of the main characteristics of treatment for a wide variety of cancer types. It is a main aspect of treatment for cancers of the: head/neck area, lungs, bladder, breast, and prostrate. It can also be an effective treatment for Hodgkin disease. Both internal and external radiation therapy can be administered depending upon the needs of the patient/the type of cancer being treated. Many patients are able to see "cancer free" results from the use of radiation therapy. Sometimes cancer-free results are due to radiation therapy alone. In other cases it is due to a combination of radiation therapy and either surgery or chemotherapy.
Radiation Therapy Recovery Time:
Radiation therapy can provide improvement of the quality of life for many patients. It can also decrease symptoms and increase the survival rate. Recovery times vary. Recovery times will depend upon the type of radiation therapy being administered in addition to many other elements and variables.
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