A cancer diagnosis can be one of the worst pieces of news that a person can receive. When you find yourself being diagnosed with this condition, you may be referred to radiation therapy sessions. While the process of treating cancer can be something stressful, informed patients are more likely to find themselves less stressed throughout these treatments.

Why Is Radiation Therapy Prescribed?

One of the first treatments that your doctor is likely to try to remove the cancer with is surgery. Sadly, this may not always be effective for completely removing the cancerous tumor. Seemingly small sections of tumors can be a major problem as the cancer cells will resume reproducing and growing. Radiation therapy is designed to destroy the cancer cells so that the disease will be unable to immediately resume its development. Unfortunately, these treatments will be unable to exclusively target the cancerous cells, which can lead to some healthy tissue being damaged. This can lead to patients suffer from some unpleasant side effects following these treatments.

How Will The Radiation Be Administered To The Body?

Radiation therapy can be an excellent way of neutralizing cancer cells. However, you may have little or no idea of the way that the radiation will be administered. Most patients will find that the radiation they receive during their treatments comes from an external source. Often, this will involve a large machine that can produce reasonably directed beams of radiation. Some patients may find that their radiation treatments will be administered by having sources of radiation placed in the body. This can be through injections, transdermal systems, and oral medications.

Will All Patients Needing Radiation Therapy Undergo It For Similar Lengths Of Time?

It is no secret that going through radiation therapy can be somewhat disruptive to your daily routines. In addition to the time needed to receive these treatments, you may feel less than your best for at least a couple of hours following these intense treatment sessions. This will lead to patients having strong incentives for these treatments to be completed as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, the time needed for these treatments can vary according to the size and type of the cancerous tumors. For most patients that are receiving radiation therapy in addition to other care, they will need to receive treatments each day for a period of time ranging from a week to a couple of months. Your doctor will provide you with an estimated length of treatments, but these number can be adjusted by on the way that your cancer responds to these treatments.

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