By Noelle Relph

 It is a cancer treatment that involves using intense beams of energy to kill cancer cells.  Almost always, this term refers to external beam radiation, but there are types of radiation that can take place inside the body.

 Radiation can damage cells by destroying the genetic materials that control how a cell grows and divides.  Radiation is more likely to kill cells that are dividing. The stage in which cells divide is called mitosis.

 Radiation therapy often uses CT scans, which create pictures of the inner body using X-ray technology on a computer linked to the machine.  Radiation treatment on the head will most likely require a mask. Why? To help the patient remain in the same position throughout the entire treatment.

*Side-effects may vary depending upon what area of the body being treated.  One of the most common side-effects of radiation therapy is fatigue.  Nausea and/or vomiting often accompany radiation treatment on the abdomen and sometimes the brain.

 Common  Amnesia (memory loss)  Fibrosis  Damage to the bowels  Infertility  Rare  A second cancer caused by the exposure to radiation

 cancer.org. American Cancer Society, n.d. Web. 5 Feb  Mayo Clinic Staff. "Radiation therapy." mayoclinic.com. Mayo Clinic, 16 July Web. 5 Feb  "Radiation Therapy for Cancer." cancer.gov. National Cancer Institute, 30 June Web. 5 Feb  "Treatment Types." rtanswers.com.RT Answers, 2 June Web. 5 Feb