Cancer can be debilitating, and coping with it can be distressful. Until you find a good radiology oncologist for yourself who can guide you through cancer therapies that best suit your individual cancer type and location.
Radiation oncologist Surprise and a team of experienced healthcare professionals offer you advanced diagnostic testing and state-of-the-art radiation therapy to kill cancer cells.
What is radiation oncology?
Radiation oncology or radiation therapy is a sub specialty that treats cancer using high-energy radiation (X-rays). This therapy works by damaging the DNA of the cancer cells which stops cell replication and proliferation. This significantly kills all the cancer cells and prevents further multiplication.
What are the types of radiation oncology?
There are several types of radiation oncology, wherein the main goal of the treatments is to destroy the DNA of the cancer cells. These include:
External beam radiation therapy (EBRT)
- 3D conformal radiation therapy
- Intensity-modulated radiation therapy
- Arc-based radiotherapy
- Image-guided radiotherapy
- Stereotactic radiosurgery
- Stereotactic body radiation therapy
- Intraoperative radiation
Internal radiation therapy
- Brachytherapy
- Systemic therapy
What happens during radiation oncology?
You can expect the following procedural steps during radiation oncology:
- Internal radiation therapy
- Your doctor will evaluate you through physical examination and diagnostic tests.
- It is performed in an outpatient treatment room.
- Your doctor will administer anesthesia, and insert a radiation implant using a small flexible tube (catheter).
- Systemic therapy may not require anesthesia and will deliver radioactive fluid through IV (intravenous) infusion.
- External radiation therapy
- You will lie on a table and a radiation machine will move around the targeted area without touching you.
- The machine directs a precise dose of radiation toward the tumor as it shifts position.
Each session, irrespective of the type of radiation oncology, takes around 30 minutes. You may need therapy for 5 days a week for 6 to 7 weeks until the tumor dissolves.
What to expect after radiation oncology?
You are kept under observation after your therapy for about 2 to 3 hours, after which you are allowed to go home. You can resume your routine activities on the same day.
You are likely to observe the following post-radiation oncology:
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Fever
- Nausea and vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Headache
- Skin irritation
- Hair loss
- Frequent urination
- Abdominal bloating or cramps
- Mouth sores
- Sense of urgency to have a bowel movement
Takeaway
Radiation oncology is a powerful treatment for cancer used before surgery, or after surgery that aids in impairing DNA mutation in the cancer cells. The type of radiation therapy and the dose required is determined by your radiology oncologist depending on the type of cancer and your general health.
