Also referred to as radiotherapy, radiation therapy is a type of cancer treatment that uses high-energy rays or particles to damage the DNA within cancer cells, thereby destroying the cells or slowing their growth.
Sources of radiation can come from:
- X-rays or gamma rays (photon beam radiation therapy)
- Electron beams (electron beam therapy)
- Protons (proton beam therapy)
In many cases, radiation therapy will be administered in combination with other cancer treatments, such as surgery, chemotherapy immunotherapy, and targeted therapies. At Tampa General Hospital, our world class radiation oncologists take cancer treatment to the next level.
Conditions Treated by Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy can be used to treat many types of cancer, including breast cancer, lung cancer, gynecologic cancers, brain cancer, pediatric cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer, blood cancer and others.
Types of Radiation Therapy
There are two main types of radiation therapy— internal radiation therapy and external beam radiation therapy.
Internal Radiation Therapy
Also known as brachytherapy, internal radiation therapy involves placing an application device containing radioactive material near where the tumor is located, inside a body cavity—such as the uterus—or directly on the skin in cases of skin cancer. At Tampa General Hospital, our high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy allows patients to undergo treatments two or three times a week with almost pinpoint accuracy instead of the typical five days a week required for external radiation therapy. Our low dose rate (LDR) brachytherapy involves placing a small, medically calibrated radioactive pellet or seed inside or immediately adjacent to the tumor, for a minimum of several days, with minimal impact to normal tissue.
External Radiation
During external beam radiation therapy, a machine located outside the patient’s body administers radiation to the area(s) of the body affected by the malignancy. There are several types of external beam radiation offered at Tampa General Hospital, some of which include:
- Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) – directs varied intensities of radiation toward a tumor while avoiding healthy tissue
- Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) – precisely targets tumors in the brain or spine with large dose of radiation in a single treatment session
- Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) – delivers radiation directly to a tumor in the lungs, liver or other critical structures in the body with pinpoint accuracy over the course of three to five sessions
- Proton beam therapy – targets tumors with high energy, positively charged proton particles that rarely go beyond the targeted tumor, limiting damage of nearby tissues
TGH’s radiation oncologists use a variety of state-of-the-art technologies to deliver external radiation, including the CyberKnife® S7 system, TrueBeam™ system, and will soon offer proton therapy.
What to Expect With Radiation Therapy
As with any type of cancer treatment, radiation therapy presents certain risks, which are directly associated with and often limited to the area of the body being treated. Depending on the type of radiation therapy being administered, side effects may include:
- Fatigue
- General discomfort
- Skin changes (e.g., redness, darkening, and peeling)
- Hair loss
- Nausea
Other side effects may arise depending on the area of the body targeted. If a physician determines that you need radiation therapy, they’ll review the risks and benefits in greater detail before proceeding with treatment.
Effectiveness of Radiation Therapy
Although results will vary from one patient to another, the medical community generally considers radiation therapy to be a highly effective form of cancer treatment. If you’re a candidate for radiation therapy treatment, your physician can supply you with information and advice that’s tailored to your specific circumstances.
Trust TGH for Radiation Therapy in Tampa Bay
If you’re concerned that you might have any type of cancer—or if you’ve already received a diagnosis—contact Tampa General Hospital’s Cancer Institute at (813) 844-8910 to schedule an appointment with a cancer specialist. Our multidisciplinary team will develop a treatment plan that may include radiation therapy but is ultimately tailored to your specific needs.