Radiation Therapy As A Treatment For Cancer - 1173 Words

In 2007, it is predicted that almost 1.5 million people will be diagnosed with cancer in the United States (Pickle et al., 2007). More than half of these cancer patients will undergo the use of radiation as a means for treating cancer at some point during the course of their disease (Perez and Brady, 1998). Cancer, a disease caused by an uncontrollable growth of abnormal cells, affects millions of people around the world. Radiotherapy is one of the well known various methods used to treat cancer, where high powered rays are aimed directly at the tumor from the outside of the body as external radiation or an instrument is surgically placed inside the body producing a result of internal radiation. Radiation is delivered to the cancerous regions of the body to damage and destroy the cells in that area, terminating the rapid growth and division of the cells. Radiation therapy has been used by medicine as a treatment for cancer from the beginning of the twentieth century, with its earlie st beginnings coming from the discovery of x-rays in 1895 by Wilhelm Rà ¶ntgen. With the advancements in physics and computer programming, radiation had greatly evolved towards the end of the twentieth century and made the radiation treatment more effective. Radiation therapy is a curative treatment approach for cancer because it is successful in killing cancerous tumor cells and stop them from regenerating. Radiation therapy treats cancer by killing or slowing down the continuous growth ofShow MoreRelatedEssay about Radiation Therapy1225 Words   |  5 PagesWhat do cancer, radiation, and technology have in common? The links between the three are quite extraordinary. Cancer is a disease that accounts for 13% of all deaths in the world (Delfino and Day 1). The disease has an impact on patients, friends and their love ones. According to WebMD, radiation is energy that travels in the form of waves through radiation therapy. Through radiation therapy, radiation is used to stop, slow or cure the growth of cancer. With technology, radiologists can treatRead MoreThe Many Uses of Radiation in Medicine651 Words   |  3 PagesWhen the word radiation is said most people automatically think cancer. There are many uses of radiation in medicine. There are several ways to detect forms of cancer in the body. One form of detection is having a positron emission tomography scan also knows as a PE T scan. Radiation is also used as a therapy through the use of a treatment using chemotherapy. There is also a form of treatment called Radiation therapy that is used as a medical use. The journey from using radiation to detect if theRead MoreCancer Is One Of The Biggest Burdens That The World Has1162 Words   |  5 PagesCancer is one of the biggest burdens that the world has to face daily. According to the National Cancer Institute, in 2012, 14 million new cases of cancer were established and 8.2 million cancer-related deaths worldwide (â€Å"Cancer Statistics†). Sadly, the number of new cancer cases and deaths will only be increasing as the years go on. Cancer has such an impacting effect on everyone, whether a loved one, yourself, or someone you knew has been affected by this disease. Due to this, I want to join theRead MoreRadiation Therapy Is The Most Common Side Effect1005 Words   |  5 PagesRadiation Therapy is the use of high energy radiation to damage cancer cel ls and prevent them from growing and dividing. More than 70% of cancer patients have undergone radiation therapy treatment (1). While radiation therapy today seems to be a very common medical treatment for cancer, there are still several risks a patient takes when choosing to undergo this treatment. There are obvious physical risks that happen that most people are aware of, however, many people do not think about the psychologicalRead MoreCancer Research1035 Words   |  5 Pagesnew cases of cancer and an estimated of 595,690 people will die from the disease in 2016 (Cancer Statistics†). Cancer is a very common aliment that affects men, women, children, and all races and ethnicities. There are many different types of cancers, and cancer research has been a focal point for many scientists. There are various treatments that a cancer patient to undergo. Surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and immune therapy are among the most common ones. Each treatment works differently Read MoreCancer s Reputation Is Dismal And Menacing1155 Words   |  5 Pagesor loved ones is cancer. The word automatically instills fear, confusion, denial, and leaves the individual questioning his or her beliefs wondering â€Å"Why me?†. It overpowers all previous commitments or opportunities seizing control over the customary quality of life. Cancer is a disease caused by an uncontrolled division of abnormal cells in a part of the body often metastasizing elsewhere. With more than two hundred types of cancer that can affect more than sixty organs, cancer kills a half millionRead MoreRadiation therapy is an important practice in a lot of hospital and clinics many people are not1200 Words   |  5 Pages Radiation therapy is an important practice in a lot of hospital and clinics many people are not aware of. It is also known as Radiation Oncology, and it is for the treatment of cancer by using beams of high-energy waves called radiation as the UI Cancer Information Services defined it. Radiation therapy plays important role in helping cure cancer. Radiation therapy is given to cancer patients in order to kill the cancer cells or it may slower the growth of cancer cells (UI Cancer Information ServicesRead MoreThe Discovery Of Radiation Therapy Essay1254 Words   |  6 Pages Radiation Therapy Diana Salazar RAD: 211 Mrs. Evelyn Grove Fayetteville Technical Community College Radiation Therapy Radiation therapy is the use of high-energy radiation from x-rays, gamma rays, neutrons, protons, and other sources to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors (National Cancer Institute, 2016). One of the main purposes of radiation is to preserve the normal cells while killing the cancer cells. To fully understand the importance of radiation therapy it is imperative toRead MoreEssay on Understanding Radiation Therapy, Its Safety and Development1520 Words   |  7 Pages Introduction: Radiation therapy is the utilization of radiation in order to treat diseases like cancer as well as to detect other ailments that someone may have. Since the development of radiation therapy many advancements have been made both to the process of using radiation itself, which in turn increased its effectiveness for medical use, and to the study of other possible uses for radiation. The concepts behind radiation therapy are not overly complicated, but they are still revolutionary ideasRead MoreDental Problems Of The Dentist1564 Words   |  7 PagesIf you are diagnosed with any type of Head and Neck cancer, the last person you would think about visiting is your dentist. Most patients are surprised when told that they will have to see a dentist before any cancer treatments can be started. The dentist plays an important role in preventing serious mouth problems before and after your radiation treatments and also helps you maintain good oral health during and after your treatments. D ental problems such as gum disease, cavities, and poorly fitting