Radiation therapy works to eliminate cancer cells, while at the same time it may affect some healthy cells in the area exposed to the radiation only.
It involves using therapeutic rays to eradicate cancer cells, targeting specific areas of the body to eliminate the tumor completely or to shrink its size. That’s why we sometimes administer it before surgery or chemotherapy. In other cases, we resort to it without the need for surgery.
Radiation therapy works to eliminate cancer cells, while at the same time it may affect some healthy cells in the area exposed to the radiation only.
It’s worth noting that healthy cells have the ability to regenerate themselves, which is why radiation therapy is different from chemotherapy that can affect cells throughout the body since it’s a localized treatment, affecting only the radiation area.
Is radiation therapy safe?
Radiation therapy has been used safely for over 100 years, and during these years it has been developed to ensure its use is even safer and more effective.
The radiation therapy team makes sure to create a prior plan so that the child receives accurate and safe doses, targeting only the affected areas while keeping as far away as possible from the healthy regions.
And this radiation does not make children radioactive after receiving doses, so they do not affect those around them.
Administering radiation
This treatment is given in two ways, either externally or internally. Most children are treated with external radiation therapy, which targets the tumor area in the body, but the child doesn’t feel it, and it has no taste or shape; it’s completely invisible.
The area that is exposed to radiation is precisely defined, and it may be marked on the child’s body. These marks should not be erased until the treatment period is complete.
therapy:
The treatment is given five days a week for several weeks; this method allows enough radiation to pass through the body to eliminate the cancer cells while allowing time for healthy cells to regenerate, thus minimizing side effects as much as possible.
