Radiation Oncology basics:

Radiation Oncology is the medical use of Radiation to treat cancer and nonmalignant tumors. Radiation has a high success rate at curing many cancers.
Radiation is used for:

1. Definitive treatment: The main treatment modality to cure cancer.
2. Adjuvant therapy: Used after the primary treatment, being either surgery or chemotherapy.
3. Palliative care: To alleviate pain and symptoms from metastatic cancer lesions.

Radiation can be delivered in many ways, the three most common ways are:


1. Linear Accelerator: This is a machine that
generates photons/energy particles that can
be directed at the cancer cells, destroying
the DNA of the cancer and thus killing the
cancer.


2. Brachytherapy: This mode uses small,
BB sized Radioactive pellets which
can be placed in the cancer to destroy it.

3. Systemic therapy: Radioactive monoclonal
antibodies which can be taken systemically, are
cancer cell specific and kill the cancer cells.