External Beam Radiation Types

Some forms of radiation therapy are unique and some combine multiple elements together.

External beam radiation types.

The technique gets its name from the fact that the beams come from an external source a machine called a linear accelerator and are aimed at the site of the tumor. In this technique a large machine called a linear accelerator aims a beam of high energy radiation at the breast affected by the cancer. External radiation or external beam radiation is the most common type of radiation therapy used for cancer treatment. When it comes to prostate cancer there are two kinds of radiation treatment.

A systemic radiation therapy called radioactive iodine or i 131 is most often used to treat certain types of thyroid cancer. Three dimensional conformal radiation therapy 3d crt tumors are not regular they come in different shapes and sizes. There are many types of radiation therapy that use complex names and acronyms. External beam radiation therapy is radiation delivered from a distant source from outside the body and directed at the patient s cancer site.

Types of external beam radiation therapy. External whole breast radiation sometimes called external beam whole breast radiation is the most common type of radiation. External beam radiation and. Types of external beam radiation therapy 3 d conformal radiation therapy treatment schedule intensity modulated radiation therapy imrt image guided radiation therapy igrt tomotherapy stereotactic radiosurgery stereotactic body radiation therapy.

External beam radiation delivers a beam of high energy x rays to a patient s tumor site to destroy cancer cells. In contrast to brachytherapy sealed source radiotherapy and unsealed source radiotherapy in which the radiation source is inside the body external beam radiotherapy directs. Most side effects are temporary can be controlled and generally improve over time once treatment has ended. Radiation technology allows the very careful delivery of external beam radiation therapy.

A machine is used to aim high energy rays or beams from outside the body into the tumor. External beam radiation therapy is used to treat many types of cancer. Brachytherapy is most often used to treat cancers of the head and neck breast cervix prostate and eye. There are several types of external beam.

The type and severity of side effects you have with external beam radiation for prostate cancer may depend on the dose and on the amount of healthy tissue that s exposed to the radiation.