Principles of cancer treatment by radiotherapy

Radiotherapy (or radiation therapy) uses ionizing radiation to selectively kill cancer cells, especially for solid tumours. Like surgery, it is meant to be a ‘local’ treatment, although its beneficial systemic (abscopal) effects are being discovered. It is most commonly used in addition to surgery (adjuvant, e.g. breast), but its role in the neoadjuvant setting in combination with chemotherapy for some cancers (e.g. rectum) is also established. In ea rly stages of some cancers, it can be the definitive treatment, avoiding surgery and enabling organ preservation (e.g.
Source: Surgery (Medicine Publishing) - Category: Surgery Authors: Tags: Cancer treatment Source Type: research