Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy is a type of cancer treatment that uses high-energy X-rays to destroy cancer cells. It is used in the treatment of some cancers for any of the following reasons:
- Cure cancer
- Stop the cancer from spreading and growing
- Relieve painful symptoms
Radiation therapy may be used alone or together with surgery, chemotherapy, hormone therapy or other treatments. Radiation therapy is administered in small amounts over the course of a few days or over several weeks. The type and amount of radiation treatment depends on the type of cancer a person has.
Patients at Sinai Health requiring radiation therapy are generally referred to Princess Margaret Cancer Centre radiation therapy clinic or a local centre that offers radiation therapy that is closer to a patient’s home.
If radiation therapy is part of your care plan, your radiation oncologist, a doctor trained in the use of radiation to treat cancer, will work closely with your Mount Sinai cancer care team.