Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy (or radiotherapy) is the medical use of ionizing radiation as part of cancer treatment to control malignant cells (not to be confused with radiology, the use of radiation in medical imaging and diagnosis). Although radiotherapy is often used as part of curative therapy, it is occasionally used as a palliative treatment, where cure is not possible and the aim is for symptomatic relief. Other rare uses are to wipe out the immune system prior to transplant to reduce the incidence of tissue rejection, called total body irradiation (TBI); to calm hyperactive muscles—such as might cause twitchy eyes—with mild superficial treatments; and to form scar tissue around a stent to reinforce the vascular wall.

How it works

Radiation therapy works by damaging the DNA of cells. The damage is caused by an electromagnetic, electron or proton beam directly or indirectly ionizing the atoms which make up DNA chain. Indirect ionization happens as a result of the ionization of oxygen, forming free radicals, which then damage the DNA. In the most common forms of radiation therapy, most of the radiation effect is through free radicals. Because cells have mechanisms for repairing DNA breakage, where the DNA is broken on both strands of the DNA are the most significant in modifying cell characteristics. Because cancer cells generally are undifferentiated and stem cell-like, they reproduce more, and have a diminished ability to repair sub-lethal damage compared to most healthy differentiated cells. The DNA damage is inherited through cell division, accumulating damage to the cancer cells, causing them to die or reproduce more slowly. Proton radiotherapy works by sending protons with varying kinetic energy to precisely stop at the tumor. Being researched is antiproton radiotherapy which would require fewer treatments than proton radiotherapy.

Related Topics:
DNA - Ionizing - Free radicals - Stem cell - Differentiated - Kinetic energy

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