Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high-energy x-ray or other particles to destroy cancer cells. A doctor who specializes in giving radiation therapy to treat cancer is called a radiation oncologist. A radiation therapy regimen, or schedule, usually consists of a specific number of treatments given over a set period.
Radiation therapy can treat many different types of cancer. It can also be used in combination with other cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and/or surgery.
There are two primary categories of radiation therapy: external and brachytherapy (internal). The type of radiation given depends on many factors including:
Each patient will have a customized treatment plan created for them by the team using the latest in radiation therapy technologies available in the Albany Capital Region area.
External radiation therapy uses high-intensity beams of radiation, directed at a very specific area of the body, to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. We offer more than one type of external beam radiation therapy to treat cancer.
Internal radiation is also called brachytherapy. A radioactive implant is put inside the body in or near the tumor.
©2023 New York Oncology Hematology. All rights reserved.