Radiation Oncology

Radiation oncology is a medical field consisting of physicians, known as radiation oncologists, who have been specially trained to use radiation therapy to treat cancer. They work together with other members of the treatment team, which may include general practitioners, surgeons and medical oncologists.

Receiving a diagnosis of cancer can be confusing, overwhelming and frightening. Thinking about treatment options can be a daunting task. Fortunately, recent advances have made it possible to treat cancer more precisely and effectively than ever before. Radiation therapy is no exception. Radiation can be delivered with pinpoint accuracy to tumors, leaving much of the surrounding healthy tissue intact. In some cases, radiation therapy can be performed in place of surgery.

How Radiation Oncology Works

Radiation may be delivered from an external source during external beam radiation therapy or it may be received from an implant in internal radiation therapy, or brachytherapy. In both cases, the goal is to target tumors with sufficient radiation while protecting healthy tissue from damage. The kind and duration of radiation therapy recommended for a patient depends on a number of factors, including the type and extent of the tumor being treated.

Types of cancer frequently treated with radiation therapy include:

• Breast cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Colorectal cancer
• Head and neck cancer
• Lung cancer
• Brain tumors

Additional Resources

• MedlinePlus
• National Institutes of Health
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
• U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
• U.S. National Library of Medicine
• WebMD

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