By Jason Howland, Mayo Clinic Information Community
Individuals who have most cancers may need the illness handled with a number of therapies, together with chemotherapy and radiation. Radiation therapy, which greater than half of all folks with most cancers obtain as a part of their remedy, makes use of high-powered vitality beams, reminiscent of X-rays or protons, to kill most cancers cells.
Some sufferers could also be nervous about receiving radiation remedy.
On this Mayo Clinic Minute, Dr. Jennifer L. Peterson, a radiation oncologist, helps clear up among the misconceptions about what typically is a crucial a part of an individual’s most cancers remedy.
Radiation remedy can play a invaluable position in an individual’s most cancers remedy plan. However Dr. Peterson desires to dispel a number of myths.
“There are numerous misconceptions when a affected person hears the phrase radiation. Some of the widespread is that radiation goes to make me sick,” she says.
She says unwanted side effects from radiation are depending on what a part of the physique is being handled and the way a lot radiation is used. These unwanted side effects can embody hair loss, pores and skin irritation, sore throat, nausea or diarrhea.
“And we work by way of these as we work the affected person by way of remedy. However, typically, it’s very nicely tolerated, and most sufferers can proceed with their regular actions all through the course of remedy,” says Dr. Peterson.
One other false impression is the radiation goes to trigger one other most cancers.
“The chance of creating a second most cancers from radiation is exceedingly low. That’s a long-term threat, one thing that might occur a long time down the highway, however the capability of the radiation to deal with the present tumor or the present downside far exceeds that threat,” says Dr. Peterson.
The underside line is that trendy strategies of radiation remedy are exact. They aim the beams straight on the most cancers whereas defending the remainder of the physique from excessive doses of radiation.
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