Final answer:
Radiotherapy is more likely to be used to treat cancer in elderly patients than in young ones due to factors such as treatment options and tolerance to radiation. However, radiotherapy can still be used to treat young people with cancer when other options are not suitable. Radiotherapy is effective against cancer by targeting cancer cells with radiation while minimizing damage to normal cells.
Step-by-step explanation:
Radiotherapy is more likely to be used to treat cancer in elderly patients than in young ones because elderly patients often have fewer treatment options due to factors such as their overall health and the presence of other medical conditions. Additionally, elderly patients tend to tolerate radiation better compared to young patients. However, radiotherapy can still be used to treat young people who have cancer when other treatment options are not suitable or when radiotherapy can provide the best chance of curing or managing the disease.
Radiotherapy is effective against cancer because cancer cells reproduce rapidly and are more sensitive to radiation. The goal of radiotherapy is to deliver a high dose of radiation to cancer cells while minimizing the dose to normal cells. Various techniques can be used to concentrate radiation in cancerous tissue, including geometric techniques that focus the radiation beam on the tumor.