Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays or particles to destroy cancer cells. It is usually used to treat prostate cancer. Your healthcare team will consider your personal needs to plan the type and amount of radiation and when and how it is given. You may also be given hormone therapy together with radiation therapy.

Radiation therapy uses radiation, such as X-rays, to destroy cancer cells. The radiation damages the cells' genetic material, so they can't grow. Radiation damages normal cells as well as cancer cells. But the normal cells can repair themselves and function, while the cancer cells cannot.

The booklet discusses different types of radiation therapy, managing their side effects and more.

External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT) is the most commonly used radiation technique in cancer treatment. This practice involves radiation beams generated outside the patient, typically by devices such as LINACS and particle accelerators. However, another method, called Brachytherapy, consists of the precise placement of radioactive seeds directly into or next to the tumor.

The brochure discusses radiation therapy, managing its side effects and what to expect after treatment.

Brachytherapy controls your cancer by damaging your cancer cells. In the same way antioxidants protect normal cells, antioxidants may also protect cancer cells.

What is brachytherapy, is it for you, pros and cons, what to expect, getting ready, during treatment, at home, medical follow-up, side effects, suggestions and advice.

What is radiation therapy, is it for you, pros and cons, what to expect, getting ready, during treatment, at home, medical follow-up, side effects, suggestions and advice.

A video for patients on what they can expect from their course of brachytherapy treatment (a type of radiation therapy).

You will need to have a comfortably full bladder and an empty rectum for your CT planning scan and radiation treatment appointments.

Radiation is used as a prostate cancer treatment because high energy waves damage the DNA of cells. If a cell divides before repairing the damage, the cell will die. Since cancerous cells divide more rapidly than healthy cells, carefully aimed energy will cause their destruction; however, prostate cancer radiation treatment will last 5 to 9 weeks.