Medical treatment for cancers
What is Medical treatment for cancers?
Radiotherapy involves the use of high-energy ionising radiation to cause DNA damage and ultimately cell death. Dose of radiotherapy is measured in Grays (Gy) – this represents the amount of energy deposited in the tissue. Radiotherapy is given in units called fractions over several day or weeks. To give the dose in one go is too toxic and would cause severe tissue damage and even death. The area to be irradiated is referred to as the radiation field. This is always marked out on the skin before treatment and such markings often perisist after the treatment. Each tissue in the body has a particular tolerance to radiation. This limits the total dose that can be administered to that area.
What is the treatment?
Non-surgical or medical treatments for different cancers include chemotherapy, radiotherapy, endocrine therapy and immunotherapy