The Pros And Cons Of Radiation Therapy

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Radiation therapy is a growing field that has not been around very long. This field works with patients that have many different types of cancer ranging from leukemia, lung cancer, prostate cancer, cervical cancer, and brain cancer among others. Cancer can be effectively treated using surgical, chemical and radiation treatment or a combination of the three. Many advantages and disadvantages have emerged when considering the use of radiation therapy and these pros and cons should be discussed thoroughly between the Oncologist and patient before a decision has been made on a course of action. Special licensing is required to enter this specialized field of radiation therapy and can be obtained through special programs.
There are many different …show more content…

According to the American Cancer Society, many side effects to radiation therapy occur because normal, healthy cells near the treatment area may become damaged. Temporary side effects may include fatigue, skin changes, hair loss, low blood counts, and eating problems. Longer-term disadvantages to radiation therapy consist of potential damage to the tissue, glands and organs near the vicinity of the tumor, the incapacity to destroy tumor cells that remain undetected on imaging scans, the inability to destroy all cancerous cells in the tumor, infertility, scar tissue growth and more. Unfortunately, when radiation therapy is solely used on particular types of cancers, it may not be entirely successful. This rings true especially for specific cancers that have …show more content…

Radiation Oncologist Dr. Peter Rossi who specializes in prostate cancer treatment wrote about some of the advantages of radiation therapy. These advantages encompass the death of a profound volume of cancerous cells, eradication of microscopic disease at the perimeter of the tumor, the capability to shrink tumors, cooperative interaction with systemic therapy, preservation of one’s organs, the stimulation of an immune response against the tumor, and a relatively safe and painless treatment for the patient

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