Cancer Society of America | Radiation Therapy

Cancer Society of America | Radiation | Cause, Symptoms & Risk Factors | Diagnosis | Cancer Prevention, Early Detection & Treatment

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The inventor of radiation and radiotherapy, Mary Curie, has died
due to the erroneous effects of radiation when she was exposed
for those radiations over years, which means a radiation has
got nature of killing even normal cells.

The radiotherapy works on the following mechanisms

1. Radiation emitted by the radio therapeutic material will inhibit the growth of tumor cells which eventually kill the cells.
2. Radiation from the material could seriously damage your tumor cells structure and functions leading to death of cells which in turn
reduces bulk of cells.
3. Radiation effect inhibits the growth and development of tumor cells by blocking the nutritional needs of the tumor cells.
4. Excessive heat and destructive nature of radio isotopes will completely erode the tumor cells on a continual application for some
weeks.
5. The ionizing radiation can be internal or external, If the material is installed into your tumor site which is called internal and if the
radiation is emitted from outside source without any internal fixation then it is external type of radiotherapy.

As you confirm the diagnosis, be active in listening and following the instructions given by the therapist and be in touch until you
completely get out of cancer cells in your body.

• You may be positioned on radiation couch and asked to lie still. You may be moved into the radiation unit which can produce a noise
which is strange and unfamiliar while emitting radiation from it.

• Pre radiation marking is done by imaging studies like MRI, CT scan to confirm the mass and its extent of spread. It will be marked by
a strong inky material on which the radiation is experimented and the surrounding normal tissue areas will be covered safely because
exposure of normal tissues to radiation is very harmful.

• It is mandatory for your therapist to administer the therapy until the number of cancer cells gradually dies and becomes zero or at least gets reduced from prior
status, and if you are on a chemotherapy, your chemotherapy may need to be continued along with these radiations.

• You may need to discuss about any fluid and dietary modifications before undergoing the radiation treatment as some doctors or therapists suggest this. Some of
the specific sites where radiation is necessary will speak a rule of nil per orem.

• Every radiation therapy visit needs some changes in its plan of treatment if the size of the tumor is reduced gradually, then marking the area once again according to
the imaging results is necessary. As the treatment is under progress, the area of irradiation also changes.

• You may be instructed to take plenty of water as it leads to dehydration. Some patients can also have nausea and vomiting and you need not to worry in such case
because it automatically disappears later after 3-4 hours of treatment.