Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of cells in the body. Such a growth is called a tumour. There are two kinds of tumours – benign and malignant. Benign tumours are not life-threatening. Malignant tumours are life-threatening if left untreated and can spread to other parts of a body.
Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high-energy, concentrated radiation to kill cancer cells. It is an important tool for treating cancer and is often used along with chemotherapy and surgery.
Radiation therapy was introduced in the beginning of the 20th century. In 1902 German surgeon, Georg Perthes, began using X-rays to shrink cancerous growths. However, in those days radium was used for radiation therapy and exposure to radium is dangerous. Today, a much safer form of radiation therapy uses Cobalt 60 as a source of gamma rays to kill the cancer cells and keep them from growing and multiplying.
Patients may first undergo surgery to remove cancerous tumours and then have radiation therapy or sometimes a dose of radiation is given during the surgery. Each patient’s treatment depends on the kind of cancer he or she has.
Picture Credit : Google
