Radiation

In radiation therapy, precisely targeted X-rays are used to destroy cancer cells in a localized area. Radiation therapy often is used to treat tumors in patients who are not candidates for surgery because their cancer has spread to lymph nodes or because it is situated adjacent to vital parts of the body such as the heart or key arteries. It can also be used along with chemotherapy to shrink tumors prior to surgery or to mop up stray cancer cells after surgery and so prevent tumor recurrences Finally, radiation can be used to treat cancer that has spread to other parts of the body and is causing pain or other symptoms.

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Radiation damages genes or DNA of both healthy and cancerous cells. But radiation generally does more damage to cancer cells because when normal cells are hit with radiation, they stop to repair the damage and, once that's fixed, are able to continue replicating. Cancer cells, on the other hand, are in such a hurry to grow, they don't take the time to correct irradiated DNA, so lose the ability to replicate and subsequently die.

Radiation therapy may be delivered "internally," by means of a needle or catheter packed with tiny seeds of radioactive material inserted into the chest near the tumor. It may also be delivered "externally" via a machine that beams the radiation at the cancer. Recently, sophisticated new techniques, such as stereotactic body radiation therapy, have given doctors the ability to target lung tumors with greater accuracy than ever before. This accuracy allows physicians to safely deliver very high doses of radiation, and is especially beneficial when killing tumors that are close to sensitive areas, such as the heart and spinal cord.