Radiation therapy, also known as radiotherapy, is a type of cancer treatment that uses high-energy radiation to kill cancer cells. Radiation therapy can be used to treat many different types of cancer and can be given alone or in combination with other treatments such as chemotherapy or surgery. There are two main types of radiation therapy: external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) and internal radiation therapy.

• External beam radiation therapy (EBRT): This is the most common type of radiation therapy. With EBRT, a machine directs beams of high-energy radiation toward the tumor. The energy may be X-rays, electrons, or protons. Precision is vital with EBRT. Your radiation oncologist will design a treatment plan to target the tumor with radiation while avoiding your healthy tissue.

• Internal radiation therapy: This type of radiation therapy is when radioactive material is placed into the cancer or surrounding tissue. Implants may be permanent or temporary. This treatment may require a hospital stay.

Radiation therapy can be given inside or outside of your body. The most common kind is external beam radiation therapy, which uses a large machine called a linear accelerator. High-energy beams are aimed from the machine to a precise point on your body. Radiation therapy can be used at different times or for different reasons during your cancer treatment. Your care team may suggest radiation as the only treatment for cancer, before surgery to shrink a cancer, or after surgery to destroy any remaining cancer cells.

Radiation therapy is a reliable and effective cancer treatment that has been around for over a century. However, it can have side effects, such as fatigue, skin changes, and nausea, depending on the type and location of the treatment. Your radiation oncologist can recommend radiotherapy tailored to your condition and the kind of cancer you have. It is important to ask your radiation oncologist what side effects to expect, given the kind of radiation therapy recommended for the kind of cancer you have[[2]](https://my.c...