Radiation therapy is one of the three major ways to treat cancer; the other two are surgery and chemotherapy. Everyone knows what surgery is: something gets cut out or cut off. What most people don't understand is the difference between chemotherapy and radiation therapy. 

Chemotherapy - or chemo, for short - is basically a treatment procedure that circulates anti-cancer medicine throughout the entire body. This is most often given as an intravenous (IV) infusion or by pill form.

Radiation therapy is the use of x-rays or gamma rays to treat cancer. X-rays and gamma rays are basically the same, although they come from different sources. When a radioactive source such as cobalt or radium is used, as was common in the past, the ray produced was a gamma ray. In modern radiotherapy, x-rays are produced in a machine called a linear accelerator. The only time radioactive sources are used today is with radioactive implants. Your physician will tell you if this is indicated for your cancer. Most patients are treated on a linear accelerator with x-rays.

X-rays are a focused type of treatment; the beam is aimed very precisely to only certain areas where the cancer is believed to be present. The radiation beam can be shaped and focused so that areas that don't need to be treated can be protected, thus limiting side effects to just the area that is in the treatment field.

In short, the goal is to kill cancer cells. 

Using a highly-targeted radiation treatment, we render cells in the treated area incapable of dividing by damaging the DNA in the cancer cells so that they die and don’t spread. Healthy, normal tissue typically rebounds from radiation therapy more quickly than does the cancer, so that the daily treatment gradually kills off the cancer cells while allowing the healthy tissue to recover.

No, the process itself does not hurt at all. Similar to receiving an x-ray at the dentist, you will not see or feel anything during the treatment.

Over time you may develop certain side effects, depending on where you are being treated, but those can be discussed with your nurse and doctor.

No, you will not, and no radiation will follow you out of the treatment room. Thanks to advanced linear accelerator-based x-ray technology, no actual radioactive material is being used in your treatment.

Only in very specific cases will a patient carry permanent radioactive implants, such as radioactive seeds for prostate cancer. If this is the case, you can expect instructions and advice for how to protect those around you from exposure. 

The primary risk is the irritation of normal, healthy tissue as the radiation beam passes through to the targeted cancer. Whether or not you will experience any risk or side effects depends largely on where in your body you are being treated and what dose is being given. It may also be affected by whether any surgery or chemotherapy is also necessary. Your doctor will discuss your particular risks with you.

This is not expected from radiation unless your abdomen/stomach is being treated directly. If you experience nausea, talk to your doctor. You can be prescribed medication to help alleviate the symptoms.

Will I lose my hair?

Certain chemotherapy drugs may result in the widespread loss of hair, but this is not an expected side effect of radiation unless the scalp/skull region is being directly treated. Hair in the actual treated area may be affected, depending on the dose of radiation delivered.

Most treatments only take 5-10 minutes to administer. This is typically done on a Monday through Friday basis for anywhere between 2 and 8.5 weeks, depending on the cancer being treated.

As we mentioned above, the side effects of radiation are generally specific to the area being treated. You may experience a general fatigue, but this is typically mild (most patients continue their usual work/life routine during treatment). Some areas of treatment are more sensitive and may experience more side effects. 

We will discuss potential side effects with you, ensuring that you are fully prepared and informed.

Before your treatment begins, you will be asked to sign a standard consent form required by Texas state law. This document informs you of any possible risk or hazards, and we also include a disclosure of any potential side effects. 

You can preview this form here, if you would like.

As always, we are here to answer your questions!

Licensed radiation therapists work with your radiation oncologist to administer the daily radiation treatment under the doctor's prescription and supervision. They maintain daily records and regularly check the treatment machines to ensure they are working properly.

While having someone accompany you is never a bad idea, they will need to wait in the waiting room while your actual treatment is administered. You might be surprised, however, by how easy and simple the treatment process itself really is - most of our patients are! And, of course, we will be available should you need anything at all.

In most cases you can continue your life and diet as usual. If side effects develop that could be lessened by modifying your diet or activities, we will go over those options with you.

Radiation therapy is covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and virtually all insurance plans to some extent. You will receive bills from CHI St. Luke’s Health Memorial for the Temple Cancer Center portion of your treatment, which covers the operation of the treatment machines and personnel involved in your care. You will also receive a bill from Angelina Radiation Oncology Associates (AROA) for the physician portion of your care. These two bills do not represent double billing but rather billing for two different components of your care. 

Any questions you might have may be directed to the following:

CHI St. Luke’s Health Memorial (hospital):
1201 W. Frank Ave., Lufkin, Texas 75904
(936) 639-7931

For AROA (physician):

RadMax
3304 S. Broadway, Suite 200, Tyler, Texas 75701
(877) 839-9517