Radiation therapy is often today used as a treatment for cancer. But how many of us know exactly how does it actually work? In radiation therapy, radiation is used for destroying the cancer cells and there by shriveling the tumor. This therapy could be administered either internally using brachytherapy or externally using an external beam radio-therapy (EBRT). The main aim of radiation is to impair the cancer cells in the targeted area by disrupting their genetics so that their growth is stopped. Radiation therapy is also known as radio-therapy, X-ray therapy or irradiation. In radio-therapy both the cancer cells as well as the normal cells are damaged, but the normal damaged cells recover and start functioning like normal.

Nowadays cancer radiation therapy is used for treating almost all types of solid tumors, from breast cancer to prostate or leukemia and lymphoma. The dose of radiation to be given is decided by the doctors after examining various important factors like the radio-sensitivity of the cancer type, the tissues and organs near the affected are that could be damaged by radiation. Therefore radiation therapy cancer treatment has its share of side-effects and the patient should be aware of it and should consult it with his/her doctor.