Radiation Treatment

Cancer Treatment in Northwest Ohio

Radiation is one of the most common cancer treatments today, either by itself or in conjunction with other forms of treatment. Radiation treats only the area that is contacted by the radiation. (If your head is not treated, you will not get hair loss from your radiation treatments.)

Radiation may be delivered in two ways:

Externally: External beam radiation is delivered from a machine (linear accelerator or tomotherapy) and the patient retains no radioactivity in the body.

Internally: Internal radiation (brachytherapy) can be delivered in a sealed or unsealed source. A sealed radioactive source is placed inside the body and emits radioactivity within the patient to treat the cancer. An unsealed source is when a radioactive material is either given intravenously or by mouth. Internal sealed radioactive sources may be temporary or permanent.