Radiation oncology is a medical specialty that involves the controlled use of radiation beams to treat cancer either for cure, or to reduce pain and other symptoms caused by cancer. Radiation therapy or radiotherapy is the term used to describe actual treatment delivered by the radiation oncology team. An important tool for treating cancer, it is often used in conjunction with other therapies, such as chemotherapy. Radiation is targeted only to specific points in your body during treatment to minimize its side effects. It can be utilized during different stages of cancer treatment and may be paired in conjunction with another form of treatment. It may be used to alleviate symptoms in advanced, late-stage cancer too.
