Radiation Therapy is a controlled, targeted delivery of a small radiation dose in a daily treatment, to reach the desired dose. This can take a total of several weeks, but is usually a quick process on a daily basis. It is painless for the first several weeks, but as the treatment reaches it’s second half, it does cause fatigue and other local problems. This mainly depends on the body part that is being treated.

The target dose depends on the goal (cure vs. no cure) and the organ being radiated. Different organs have different doses of radiation they can tolerate. Also, the tissue has a lifetime memory of being radiated. If the cancer recurs in the same spot, radiating the same spot carries the risk of tissue breakdown in that spot and is usually not recommended. If the “radiation fields” don’t overlap, you can undergo radiation to the new spot.

Radiation does not travel throughout the body; only the targeted part is affected.