Radiation Oncology

By Michael Chin MD

Definition

• Radiation oncology is a branch of medicine that treats cancer by using high-energy radiation in the form of photons (i.e. X-rays & gamma rays) or subatomic particles (electrons or protons)

How Does It Work?• Radiation therapy works by damaging the

DNA inside the cancer cells.

• When the DNA sustains enough damage, the cells are unable to multiple, leading to the death of the cells.

• The goal is to destroy as many of the cancer cells as possible while committing as little damage to the healthy cells as possible.

Why Is Radiation Used?

• The exact role depends on the type, size, location, and stage of your cancer. Radiation can be used as any of the following:

• Primary Treatment

• Adjuvant Therapy

• Palliative Therapy

Primary Treatment

• The main treatment you receive to cure, stop or slow the disease.

Adjuvant Therapy

• Receive treatment after one or more other treatments, such as surgery or chemotherapy, in an attempt to reduce the risk that your cancer will come back.

Palliative Therapy

• Treatment is designed to relieve the patients symptoms, such as pain, by shrinking the tumor.

• For certain forms of cancer, radiation therapy alone is the best treatment.

• However, radiation in conjunction with surgery and/or chemotherapy tends to be most effective, leading to higher survival rates than any single type of therapy.

Radiation Oncology: The Team

• A team of health care professionals will work together to deliver effective radiation therapy.

• The team will usually include:

• Radiation Oncologist

• Radiation Therapist

• Radiation Oncology Nurse

Radiation Oncologist

• The radiation oncologist specializes in treating cancer with radiation.

• They will prescribe, plan, and oversee the patients radiation treatment.

Radiation Therapist

• The radiation therapist will position and prepare you for treatment as well as operate the machines that deliver the radiation.

Radiation Oncology Nurse

• The radiation oncology nurse will explain the treatment to the patient, answer any questions, and help the patient manager their side effects.

• While the treatment itself only takes a few minutes, teach session takes about 30 minutes to prepare and set up the equipment.

• It is important that the patient gets plenty of rest and eats a well-glanced diet during the course of radiation therapy - the treatment can be extremely draining on a patient.

Facts• Nearly two-thirds of all cancer patients will

receive radiation therapy during their illness.

• Medicare and Medicaid are the predominant sources of payment for radiation oncology.