your cells multiply and reproduce

 

Radiation treatment uses high-energy particles, such as x-rays, gamma rays, electrons, or protons, to kill or damage cancer cells.

Typically, your cells multiply and reproduce to form new ones. However, cancer cells replicate and divide more rapidly than most normal business cells. In addition, radioactive particles break up DNA in cells. As a result, cancer cells cannot divide or grow, so they die. Radioactive particles can also affect nearby healthy cells, but most recover and resume normal functions.

Unlike chemotherapy and other cancer-fighting treatments taken orally or by injection, radiation therapy usually treats a localized area only. In other words, it focuses on and treats only the parts of the body that need treatment. Therefore, it is crucial to plan radiation treatments to damage cancer cells with the most negligible impact on nearby healthy cells.

In systemic radiation therapy, radioactive substances are injected or taken orally. Although this type of radiation travels throughout the body, it mainly gathers in the tumor area, so it has little effect on the rest of the body.

Chemotherapy vs. Radiation Therapy: What’s the difference?

Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are two of the most common cancer treatments available. In   high-energy particles or waves kill cancer cells. Cell growth and reproduction aim to create new cells and replace those lost to damage and aging. It is believed that cancer cells reproduce faster than normal cells and lack the controls found in normal cells. These particles (or waves) damage their DNA (genetic information) to kill cancer cells. DNA contains the code required for a cell to grow and divide.

The high-energy beams used in radiation therapy are directed directly to cancer. Aims are made to avoid damaging as many healthy cells as possible. This therapy can’t treat cancers that have spread because it focuses on a specific body area. Radiation therapy is used to cure or reduce early-stage cancer, prevent cancer from recurring (recurrence), and treat advanced cancer symptoms.