Final answer:
Radiation therapy is a form of cancer treatment that uses high-energy radiation such as X-rays to target and destroy cancerous cells. It can be delivered externally or internally (brachytherapy), with careful targeting techniques to minimize damage to healthy tissue and is often used in conjunction with surgery and chemotherapy.
Step-by-step explanation:
What is Radiation Therapy in the Context of Treating Cancer?,
Radiation therapy, also known as radiotherapy, is a form of cancer treatment that utilizes ionizing radiation, commonly in the form of X-rays, to target and destroy cancerous tissues. The premise of radiation therapy is to damage the DNA within cancer cells, ultimately leading to their death or inhibiting their ability to divide and proliferate. One of the critical aspects of this treatment is maximizing the radiation dose to cancer cells while minimizing exposure to surrounding healthy tissues.
Oncologists often employ radiation therapy concurrently with other treatments, such as surgery and chemotherapy—which uses chemical substances to target cancer. The therapy can be administered in two primary ways: external beam radiation therapy, which is delivered from a machine outside the body, and internal radiation therapy or brachytherapy, which involves placing a radioactive substance inside the body.
To optimize the therapeutic ratio—the ratio of cancer cells killed to normal cells affected—modern radiotherapy can be highly targeted. Techniques like geometric targeting allow a narrow beam of radiation to pass through the patient from multiple angles, intersecting at the tumor site. This strategy maximizes the dose to the tumor while distributing a lower dose across a larger volume of normal tissue, thus sparing healthy cells as much as possible.
Radioisotopes may also be employed in higher doses than diagnostic tracers for therapeutic purposes, enhancing the effect on cancer cells. Radiation Oncologists precisely calculate dosage levels based on numerous factors, such as the patient's health status, the success of any prior surgeries, and compatibility with other treatments like chemotherapy.