A: Radiation therapy, or radiotherapy, is the use of various forms of radiant waves of energy to safely and effectively treat cancer and other diseases. It can be used to cure cancer, control its growth or relieve painful symptoms. Radiation therapy works by damaging cells; normal cells are able to repair themselves, whereas cancer cells cannot.

A: Radiation therapy complements the other major forms of cancer therapy " such as chemotherapy and surgery. It is similar to surgery, since both target the tumor, but radiation therapy does not require an incision, operation, or anesthesia. It s also similar to drug therapy in that it usually requires multiple sessions as an outpatient. The difference is that radiation therapy does not travel throughout the body.

A: Most times, it is given with a curative intent, such as eliminating the tumor or preventing recurrence, or to reduce the suffering caused by the cancer symptoms.

A: Technology has greatly improved over the last few years, making the dosage and delivery of radiation much more precise. New techniques also allow doctors to better target the radiation to protect healthy cells. This has given radiation an even bigger role in cancer care. Patients are often surprised with the ease of the radiation therapy experience. In the current era of personalized or precision medicine, radiation therapy technology is moving beyond simply treating the tumor and toward developing novel ways to harness the cancer-killing powers of an individual s body. Radiation therapy is an extremely potent enhancer of the body s immune response toward killing cancer cells. When used in tandem with other therapies that also enhance the immune response, these new combinations of therapies can dramatically shrink some cancers that were not responsive to older therapies.

A: There are different types that work in different ways, but by far the most common form, used for 90 percent of cancer patients, is LINAC (linear accelerator-based) radiation therapy. This works by customizing high energy x-rays to conform to a tumor s shape and destroy cancer cells while sparing surrounding normal tissue. During a typical 30-minute visit, the experience is similar to getting a CT scan. The patient lies on a table, and the staff prepares them for treatment (no IVs are required). The LINAC silently delivers the treatment, typically over two-to-three minutes. Afterward, the patient leaves feeling much the same as they did when they arrived.

A: Each day, research is finding better, more effective ways to identify biomarkers and gene signatures to develop treatment strategies tailored to the individual patient. The challenge ahead is to make such responses cure more cancers " and through continued research and technological advancements, we re already seeing results as we combine radiation therapy with the new immunotherapies. After all, radiation therapy is one of the most potent agents known to stimulate the immune system, and thus help the body heal itself from cancer.