Focusing high-energy radiation beams onto specific organs or parts of organs to treat cancer is called radiation therapy. High-energy radiation breaks up the genetic material inside cancerous cells, killing them and stopping their spread. Because radiation is delivered specifically to the area of the cancer, effects on healthy cells are minimized. Doctors with specialized training in the use of radiation to treat cancer are called radiation oncologists. They often work in conjunction with medical oncologists, internal medicine doctors who specialize in medical treatments for cancer. The September 14, 2005, issue of JAMA includes an article about radiation therapy and its use in treating prostate cancer.
Grahic Jump Location
Radiation therapy decreases the size of tumors and in some cases may eradicate them. Radiation can be used to shrink tumors, allowing surgical removal that would otherwise not be possible. Because tumors and their metastases (spread of cancer to other locations) can cause pain, radiating those cancerous areas may significantly reduce pain. Radiation therapy is often used for palliation (easing symptoms from incurable cancer) and pain relief when other treatments are not possible or have not been successful. Sometimes radiation and chemotherapy (use of drugs to kill cancer cells) are used together to maximize chances of curing a person's cancer. Because each person's situation is unique, you should discuss your personal cancer treatment plan with your doctors.
External radiation therapy consists of beams of high-energy radiation directed to the affected area. It is painless, and the treatments are usually given once a day over a period of weeks. The area for radiation therapy is often marked with tiny tattoos smaller than a freckle so that the treatment site is consistent throughout the therapy sessions.
Internal radiation (sometimes called brachytherapy) involves small amounts of radioactive material placed into the tissue where the cancer has been detected. This can be delivered by radioactive seeds or wires or by radioactive material placed into a body cavity. Brachytherapy allows delivery of higher doses of radiation over a shorter period because it stays in a small area near the cancerous tissue.
These depend on the site of the body being treated but may include
Skin redness near the radiated site
Fatigue
Infertility from radiation of the reproductive organs
Nausea, vomiting, or loss of appetite
Hair loss and dry mouth (if therapy is directed to the head or neck)
Diarrhea when the bowel is treated
National Cancer Institute800/4-CANCERhttp://www.cancer.gov
American Cancer Society800/227-2345http://www.cancer.org
To find this and previous JAMA Patient Pages, go to the Patient Page link on JAMA's Web site at http://www.jama.com. Many are available in English and Spanish. A Patient Page on preventing cancer was published in the May 26, 2004, issue, and one on cancer clinical trials was published in the June 9, 2004, issue.
Sources: American Cancer Society, National Cancer Institute
The JAMA Patient Page is a public service of JAMA. The information and recommendations appearing on this page are appropriate in most instances, but they are not a substitute for medical diagnosis. For specific information concerning your personal medical condition, JAMA suggests that you consult your physician. This page may be photocopied noncommercially by physicians and other health care professionals to share with patients. To purchase bulk reprints, call 718/946-7424.
TOPIC: CANCER
Country-Specific Mortality and Growth Failure in Infancy and Yound Children and Association With Material Stature
Use interactive graphics and maps to view and sort country-specific infant and early dhildhood mortality and growth failure data and their association with maternal
Instructions
Comments are moderated and will appear on the site at the discretion of the Journal of American Medical Association editors. Comments should not exceed 500 words of text and 10 references.
Do not submit personal medical questions or information that could identify a specific patient, questions about a particular case, or general inquiries to an author. Only content that has not been published, posted, or submitted elsewhere should be submitted. By submitting this Comment, you and any coauthors transfer copyright to the journal if your Comment is posted.
* = Required Field
Disclosure of Any Conflicts of Interest* Indicate all relevant conflicts of interest of each author below, including all relevant financial interests, activities, and relationships within the past 3 years including, but not limited to, employment, affiliation, grants or funding, consultancies, honoraria or payment, speakers’ bureaus, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, royalties, donation of medical equipment, or patents planned, pending, or issued. If all authors have none, check "No potential conflicts or relevant financial interests" in the box below. Please also indicate any funding received in support of this work. The information will be posted with your response.
Register and get free email Table of Contents alerts, saved searches, PowerPoint downloads, CME quizzes, and more
Subscribe for full-text access to content from 1998 forward and a host of useful features
Activate your current subscription (AMA members and current subscribers)
Some tools below are only available to our subscribers or users with an online account.
Download citation file:
Customize your page view by dragging & repositioning the boxes below.
The Rational Clinical Examination Evidence Summary and Review 3
All results at JAMAevidence.com >
and access these and other features:
Register Now
Enter your username and email address. We'll send you a reminder to the email address on record.
Athens and Shibboleth are access management services that provide single sign-on to protected resources. They replace the multiple user names and passwords necessary to access subscription-based content with a single user name and password that can be entered once per session. It operates independently of a user's location or IP address. If your institution uses Athens or Shibboleth authentication, please contact your site administrator to receive your user name and password.