National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on Radiation Therapy is the National Cancer Institute
A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine 
National Institutes of Health
Radiation Therapy
Also called: Brachytherapy, Radiotherapy
Radiation is a form of energy released in particles or waves. In high doses, radiation destroys cells or keeps them from multiplying.
Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment. Its goal is to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Unlike cancer cells, most of your normal cells recover from radiation therapy. Doctors try to protect normal cells by limiting the radiation dosage and spreading treatment out over time. When they use radiation machines, they shield as much of your body as possible while targeting the cancer.
The radiation for cancer treatment comes externally, from special machines, or internally, from radioactive substances that a doctor places in your body. Sometimes radiation is used with other treatments, like surgery or chemotherapy.
NIH: National Cancer Institute
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Start Here
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Radiation Therapy and You: Support for People with Cancer(National Cancer Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
- Understanding Radiation Therapy: A Guide for Patients and Families(American Cancer Society)
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Radiation Therapy and You: Support for People with Cancer
The top row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Basics
,
Learn More
, and
Multimedia & Cool Tools
.
For group Basics
For group Learn More
For group Multimedia & Cool Tools
The bottom row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Research
,
Reference Shelf
, and
For You
.
For group Research
For group Reference Shelf
For group For You
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Overviews
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Radiation Therapy for Cancer(National Cancer Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
- Radiation Therapy Principles(American Cancer Society)
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Radiation Therapy for Cancer
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Latest News
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Battling Breast Cancer
(01/28/2013, HealthDay)
- More Focused Radiation Treatment May Work Better Against Brain Tumors(01/11/2013, HealthDay)
- No Fewer Side Effects for Prostate Proton Therapy(12/27/2012, Reuters Health)
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Battling Breast Cancer
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Disease Management
- How Should I Care for Myself During Radiation Therapy?(American Society for Radiation Oncology)
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Specific Conditions
- Brachytherapy(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
- Also available in Spanish
- External Beam Therapy (EBT)(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
- Also available in Spanish
- Gamma Knife(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
- Also available in Spanish
- Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
- Also available in Spanish
- Linear Accelerator (LINAC)(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
- Also available in Spanish
- Proton Therapy(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
- Also available in Spanish
- Radiation Therapy: Additional Treatment Options(American Society for Radiation Oncology)
- Radioimmunotherapy(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
- Also available in Spanish
- Stereotactic Radiosurgery and Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT)(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
- Also available in Spanish
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What to Know about Brachytherapy (A Type of Internal Radiation Therapy)
(National Cancer Institute)
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What to Know about External Beam Radiation Therapy(National Cancer Institute)
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Related Issues
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Head and Neck Radiation Treatment and Your Mouth(National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research)
- Also available in Spanish
- Low Blood Cell Counts: Side Effect of Cancer Treatment(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Managing Radiation Therapy Side Effects: What to Do about Changes When You Urinate(National Cancer Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
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Managing Radiation Therapy Side Effects: What to Do about Feeling Sick to Your Stomach and Throwing Up (Nausea and Vomiting)(National Cancer Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
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Managing Radiation Therapy Side Effects: What to Do about Hair Loss (Alopecia)(National Cancer Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
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Managing Radiation Therapy Side Effects: What to Do about Mild Skin Changes(National Cancer Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
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Managing Radiation Therapy Side Effects: What to Do When You Have Loose Stools (Diarrhea)(National Cancer Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
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Managing Radiation Therapy Side Effects: What to Do When Your Mouth or Throat Hurts(National Cancer Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
- Questions to Ask about Radiation Safety(American Society for Radiation Oncology)
- Radiation Injury to the Brain(International Radiosurgery Support Association)
- Radiation Oncology Treatment Team(American Society for Radiation Oncology)
- Radiation Therapy: Preventing and Managing Side Effects(American Cancer Society)
- Return to top
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Head and Neck Radiation Treatment and Your Mouth
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Videos
- Advancements in Radiation Oncology(OR-Live) - Halifax Health, Daytona Beach, FL, 11/18/2010
- Cancer Treatment: Radiation Therapy(American Cancer Society)
- Return to top
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Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Radiotherapy(National Institutes of Health)
- FAQ for Patients (Clinical Trials)(Radiation Therapy Oncology Group)
- Return to top
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Radiotherapy
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
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Dictionaries/Glossaries
- Glossary of Radiation Therapy Terms(American Cancer Society)
- Radiosurgery Definitions(International Radiosurgery Support Association)
- Return to top
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Directories
- American College of Radiology Accredited Facility Search(American College of Radiology)
- Find a Radiation Oncologist(American Society for Radiation Oncology)
- Return to top
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Organizations
- American Cancer Society
- International Radiosurgery Support Association
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National Cancer Institute
- Also available in Spanish
- RadiologyInfo(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
- Also available in Spanish
- Return to top
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Children
- Radiation Therapy(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
- Radiation Therapy (For Children)(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
- What Parents Should Know About Medical Radiation Safety in Pediatric Interventional Radiology(Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging) - PDF
- Return to top
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Teenagers
- Radiation Therapy (For Teens)(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
- Return to top
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Men
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What Men Can Do about Changes in Sexuality and Fertility(National Cancer Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
- Return to top
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What Men Can Do about Changes in Sexuality and Fertility
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Women
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What Women Can Do about Changes in Sexuality and Fertility(National Cancer Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
- Return to top
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What Women Can Do about Changes in Sexuality and Fertility
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Patient Handouts
- Abdominal radiation - discharge
- Also available in Spanish
- Brain radiation - discharge
- Also available in Spanish
- Breast radiation - discharge
- Also available in Spanish
- Chest radiation - discharge
- Also available in Spanish
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Managing Radiation Therapy Side Effects: What Men Can Do about Changes in Sexuality and Fertility(National Cancer Institute)
- PDF
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Managing Radiation Therapy Side Effects: What to Do about Changes When You Urinate(National Cancer Institute)
- PDF
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Managing Radiation Therapy Side Effects: What to Do about Feeling Sick to Your Stomach and Throwing Up (Nausea and Vomiting)(National Cancer Institute)
- PDF
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Managing Radiation Therapy Side Effects: What to Do about Hair Loss (Alopecia)(National Cancer Institute)
- PDF
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Managing Radiation Therapy Side Effects: What to Do about Mild Skin Changes(National Cancer Institute)
- PDF
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Managing Radiation Therapy Side Effects: What to Do When You Feel Weak or Tired (Fatigue)(National Cancer Institute)
- PDF
- Also available in Spanish
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Managing Radiation Therapy Side Effects: What to Do When You Have Loose Stools (Diarrhea)(National Cancer Institute)
- PDF
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Managing Radiation Therapy Side Effects: What to Do When Your Mouth or Throat Hurts(National Cancer Institute)
- PDF
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Managing Radiation Therapy Side Effects: What Women Can Do about Changes in Sexuality and Fertility(National Cancer Institute)
- PDF
- Mouth and neck radiation - discharge
- Also available in Spanish
- Oral mucositis
- Also available in Spanish
- Pelvic (between the hips) radiation - discharge
- Also available in Spanish
- Proton therapy
- Also available in Spanish
- Radiation enteritis
- Also available in Spanish
- Radiation therapy
- Also available in Spanish
- Stereotactic radiosurgery
- Also available in Spanish
- Stereotactic radiosurgery - discharge
- Also available in Spanish
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What to Know about Brachytherapy (A Type of Internal Radiation Therapy)(National Cancer Institute)
- PDF
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What to Know about External Beam Radiation Therapy(National Cancer Institute)
- PDF
- Return to top
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You may also be interested in these related encyclopedia pages:
MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA
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Radiation Therapy - Multiple Languages
