Radiotherapy
Radiation has many beneficial ways to be used. The type that will be discussed in this report is its medical uses in treating cancer. The treatment is called radiation therapy or radiotherapy (National Cancer Institute 2010). More than half of all cancer patients get radiotherapy as part of their treatment (American Cancer Society 2014). It is often used alongside chemotherapy (D Hermann n.d.). The purpose of radiation therapy is to cure or control the cancer or to relieve symptoms if cure is not possible (Cancer Council Australia 2015). Radiotherapy is usually given five times a week, once a day, at a few minutes each time (Better Health Channel 2014).
Radiation can be used to shrink and kill cancer cells. It works by damaging the genes in cells which stops them growing and dividing (American Cancer Society 2014). This causes the cells to die. Cells have a life cycle with 5 phases, one of which is mitosis, where the cells divide (American Cancer …show more content…
One or both types of the radiotherapy may be used during treatment, depending on where the cancer is in the boy, and the type and size of the cancer (Cancer Council Victoria 2014). In external radiotherapy, the patient lies on a treatment table beneath a machine which aims radiation beams towards their body (Cancer Council Victoria 2014). The beams are directed to the cancer and surrounding tissues where the cancer may have spread (Cancer Council Victoria 2014). The machine never comes in contact with the patient’s body (Cancer Council Victoria). Internal radiotherapy involves placing a source of radiation inside the body on or near the cancer (Cancer Council Victoria 2014). This includes radioisotope treatment, where a radioactive isotope is given as a capsule or, brachytherapy, in which a permanent or temporary radiation source is put near the cancer inside the body (Cancer Council Victoria
Radiation has many beneficial ways to be used. The type that will be discussed in this report is its medical uses in treating cancer. The treatment is called radiation therapy or radiotherapy (National Cancer Institute 2010). More than half of all cancer patients get radiotherapy as part of their treatment (American Cancer Society 2014). It is often used alongside chemotherapy (D Hermann n.d.). The purpose of radiation therapy is to cure or control the cancer or to relieve symptoms if cure is not possible (Cancer Council Australia 2015). Radiotherapy is usually given five times a week, once a day, at a few minutes each time (Better Health Channel 2014).
Radiation can be used to shrink and kill cancer cells. It works by damaging the genes in cells which stops them growing and dividing (American Cancer Society 2014). This causes the cells to die. Cells have a life cycle with 5 phases, one of which is mitosis, where the cells divide (American Cancer …show more content…
One or both types of the radiotherapy may be used during treatment, depending on where the cancer is in the boy, and the type and size of the cancer (Cancer Council Victoria 2014). In external radiotherapy, the patient lies on a treatment table beneath a machine which aims radiation beams towards their body (Cancer Council Victoria 2014). The beams are directed to the cancer and surrounding tissues where the cancer may have spread (Cancer Council Victoria 2014). The machine never comes in contact with the patient’s body (Cancer Council Victoria). Internal radiotherapy involves placing a source of radiation inside the body on or near the cancer (Cancer Council Victoria 2014). This includes radioisotope treatment, where a radioactive isotope is given as a capsule or, brachytherapy, in which a permanent or temporary radiation source is put near the cancer inside the body (Cancer Council Victoria