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Cancer Cells and Radiation

Cancer Cells and Radiation. By Dominika Cornejo. What is Radiation Therapy?.

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Cancer Cells and Radiation

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  1. Cancer Cells and Radiation By Dominika Cornejo

  2. What is Radiation Therapy? • Radiation therapy uses high-energy particles or waves, such as x-rays, gamma rays, electron beams, or protons, to destroy or damage cancer cells. Other names for radiation therapy are radiotherapy, irradiation, or x-ray therapy.

  3. How Does Radiation Kill Cancer Cells? • Radiation therapy kills cancer cells by damaging their DNA • This can be achieved by either direct damage to the DNA or by creating free radicals within the cells that damage the DNA • A cancer cell can’t grow or divide anymore when its genes are damaged by radiation • Over time the cell dies

  4. Types of Radiation Therapy • External-beam radiation therapy • Delivered by a machine outside of the body • Internal radiation therapy (brachytherapy) • Radioactive material is placed inside the body near cancer cells • Systematic radiation therapy • Radioactive material travels through the body and is absorbed by cancer cells • Can be given in one of three ways: • By mouth-a capsule or solution • By intravenous injection-radioactive material is injected directly into a vein • By instillation-the radioactive material is placed into a body cavity

  5. Equipment Needed • CT Scans (MRI, PET Scans, and Ultrasounds are sometimes taken as well) • A head mask during the scan is also provided to prevent the movement of the patient’s head • Varian Trilogy Linear Accelerator with on-board imaging (OBI) • Optical guidance system, respiratory gating • Stereotactic radiosurgery/radiotherapy (SRS/SRT) • Electronic portal imaging • 120 Multi-leafCollimator (MLC)

  6. Side Effects • Side effects depend on a number of factors: • area of the body being treated, the dose given per day, the total dose given, the patient’s general medical condition, and other treatments given at the same time • Possible side effects: • Skin irritation • Hair loss • Urinary problems • Salivary gland damage • Fatigue • Nausea (with or without vomiting) • Fibrosis • Damage to the bowels (causes diarrhea and/or bleeding • Memory loss • Infertility • Development of a second cancer due to radiation exposure (Rarely happens)

  7. A Patient Undergoing Radiation Therapy http://betastuffs.blogspot.com/2011/12/drugs-double-efficacy-of-radiation.html

  8. Works Cited BaukeSchievink. “A Patient Undergoing Radiation Therapy.” Photograph. Beta Blog. 19 December 2011. Web. 3 February 2013. <http://betastuffs.blogspot.com/2011/12/drugs-double-efficacy-of-radiation.html>. Mayo Clinic Staff. Radiation therapy. Mayo Clinic. Web. 3 February 2013. <http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/radiation-therapy/MY00299>. Radiation Therapy. The Free Dictionary by Farlex. Web. 3 February 2013. <http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/radiation+therapy>. Radiation Therapy Equipment. Good Samaritan Hospital. Web. 3 February 2013. <http://www.gshs.org/body.cfm?id=1112>. Radiation Therapy for Cancer. National Cancer Institute. Web. 3 February 2013. <http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Therapy/radiation>.

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