(pleasant tones)
(lush string music)
(subdued piano music)
>> [narrator] Everyday and everywhere,
we are surrounded by radiation.
The light we use to see, heat,
radio waves, and the microwaves we use to cook
are all forms of radiation.
The sun, TV remote controls, and even some minerals
are all sources of radiation.
Radiation is also a common cancer treatment.
In fact, more than half the people diagnosed with cancer
get some type of radiation therapy.
These treatments all have one thing in common--
they all use high-energy waves to kill cancer cells.
How radiation therapy is used depends on the cancer
and the individual patient.
>> When we meet in consultation,
we'll talk about how we use radiation
and when we use radiation.
And actually, most people,
as a part of their treatment for cancer,
receive radiation in some form.
Now, radiation can be used alone, as in prostate cancer,
or, in breast cancer for instance,
we use it with surgery and chemotherapy.
>> [narrator] Doctors use radiation therapy
to treat cancer because it is good at shrinking
and destroying tumors without causing much damage
to normal tissues.
The high-energy waves pass through the body
to reach the cancer.
Cancer cells divide faster than normal cells
and don't obey the rules of the body.
When the cancer cells are hit with high-energy radiation,
they are damaged.
If they don't die right away,
they die the next time they try to divide.
As the cancer cells continue to die, the tumor shrinks.
Most normal cells don't die with radiation therapy
because they are not dividing,
and they are better able to repair themselves.
>> Basically it comes down to external radiation
or internal radiation.
Now, external radiation is when we use
a very fancy X-ray machine,
and aim an X-ray into the body from away from the body.
That's the majority of what we do.
But oftentimes, we have the choice
of using internal radiation,
which sometimes is called "brachytherapy," too.
Now, internal radiation is when we use radioactivity
and place it near to, or into, a tumor within the body.
>> [narrator] The decision about which type
of radiation to use is based on the type of cancer,
the location of the cancer,
whether or not the cancer has spread,
the current health of the patient,
other treatments the patient is on or will be on.
Radiation for medical use is usually produced
by sources inside of machines.
The machines focus the radiation and create a beam
that can be aimed at the cancer.
The radiation coming from the machine
cannot be seen or felt.
In most cases, external radiation is a local treatment.
It is aimed at a specific part of the body.
Doctors plan the treatments
so the radiation is aimed at the cancer,
and has the smallest possible effect on healthy cells.
Your skin may be marked with a special ink
that will remain during the treatment.
The marks allow technicians to position you
the same way each time,
and make sure that the radiation
is always hitting the right spot.
>> Radiation doctors have a couple tools we use
to help treat patients with X-rays
as accurately as possible.
One of these tools is a mask.
This is just a plastic shield that they put over your head,
and, for instance, if you had a tumor of the mouth,
we have to make sure that it stays in the same position
every day during treatment, and the mask does this for us.
Again, it's only used sometimes, in some patients,
just for a couple minutes every day.
Another tool for positioning a patient is a mold.
For instance, if you were being treated for prostate cancer,
we would make a mold of your legs,
just so your legs are in the same position every day.
Again, this is something that's just used during radiation
and, of course, it's not painful,
but it just helps us be as good as we can
as we deliver the radiation on a daily basis.
>> [narrator] External radiation therapy
often requires a series of treatments.
It is usually given five days a week,
Monday through Friday, for 2 to 10 weeks,
depending on the type of cancer and its location.
Sometimes, treatments might be given twice a day.
The treatment usually takes less than an hour,
and you do not need to stay in the hospital.
Before treatment, a radiation therapist will greet you
and may ask you to put on a gown.
The therapist will then take you into a treatment room
and guide you through the treatment.
>> All right, Mrs. Johnson,
this is gonna be the treatment room
that you're treated in every day, okay?
So what's gonna go on today
is I'm gonna set you up to the marks
that we have on your sides.
I'm gonna lower your pants down to about mid-thigh,
and your underwear, and I'll keep you covered
the whole time, okay?
So once I have you lying down flat on your back,
this machine is gonna rotate around you.
The X-ray imagers are gonna come out to the sides,
and we're gonna take some X-rays.
The doctor is then going to check those X-rays
for positioning and make sure that everything
is exactly the way it was when you were planned.
And then, we will start your treatment after that, okay?
>> Okay. >> So it will only take
about 20 to 25 minutes. >> Okay.
>> All right, so I'll go ahead and take your jacket
and we can get started.
>> [narrator] While you're being positioned on the machine,
your legs or feet may be secured
to prevent accidental movements.
>> Okay, Mrs. Johnson, this looks perfect.
This is exactly how you're gonna be sitting
every single day, okay? >> Okay.
>> All right, and let's just see these marks, okay?
Everything looks good.
You kept your marks well for us, okay?
I'm gonna go ahead and lift you up
and get you lined up.
>> [narrator] After you are put in position,
you will need to stay very still
to make sure that the radiation is going
to the exact same place each time.
But you do not need to hold your breath.
>> Okay, Mrs. Johnson, I've got everything lined up
right where I want it.
Just want you to hold still from here on out.
What's gonna happen first is we're gonna take those X-rays,
and I'll be talking to you over the loudspeaker.
I have two cameras watching you and I can hear you, too.
So if you have any problems, you just raise your hands, okay?
>> Okay. >> And I'll come back in the room.
I'll let you know before we start the treatment.
(machine whirring gently)
Okay, Mrs. Johnson, the doctor's reviewed all the images
and everything looks great.
We're gonna go ahead and start your treatment now.
(machine whirring gently)
We're almost finished, Mrs. Johnson, just hold still.
You're doing great.
Okay, Mrs. Johnson, you can relax your arms.
We're all finished.
You did great.
(soft upbeat music)
>> [narrator] Internal radiation therapy
uses radiation that comes from tiny radioactive sources
placed inside the body.
The radiation source can look
like a small seed, pill, or wire.
The implants are placed in or around the cancer by a doctor.
If needed, you will be asleep,
or the area will be numbed while this is done.
Although the radiation is close to the target
and does not travel very far,
some normal cells are damaged and side effects may occur.
>> When we use internal radiation,
we put it in temporarily in some cases,
or we'll put it in permanently and it just stays forever.
Now, the radiation wears off,
and then what's left behind is very harmless to a patient.
>> [narrator] Internal radiation therapy
is used for cancers of the head, neck, breast, uterus,
cervix, prostate, gallbladder, esophagus,
eye, lung, and some others.
Each type of internal radiation treatment is different,
so it is important to ask questions
about any treatment plan.
In most types of radiation therapy,
the area exposed to radiation is limited.
The possible side effects depend on the area being treated.
>> Radiation on a daily basis is actually painless.
It's just like getting a chest X-ray,
you don't feel a thing.
But during treatment, the kind of side effects
you might experience, say, if we were treating the prostate,
would be urinating more frequently,
or going to the bathroom more frequently, or getting tired,
and that's just the effect of the buildup
of radiation in that area.
>> [narrator] Some common side effects
for almost all types of radiation therapy
include skin changes where the radiation is aimed.
These might include itching, dryness, blistering, or a rash.
You might also feel fatigued or unusually tired.
Side effects usually go away within four to six weeks
after the end of treatment.
Other short-term side effects that may occur,
depending on the area being treated
include diarrhea, hair loss at the treatment area,
mouth dryness or mouth sores,
nausea and vomiting,
loss of sexual desire, erectile dysfunction,
swelling of areas being treated,
bladder problems, such as bladder irritation
that may cause you to urinate frequently.
Some possible long-term side effects,
again, depending on the area being treated,
might be infertility and sexual problems,
lymphedema or swelling of an arm or leg,
usually when combined with surgery,
joint and organ problems including pain and damage,
second cancers.
Whether you are getting internal
or external radiation therapy,
it is important for you to discuss your treatment plan
with your doctor.
You should ask your doctor what to expect,
how to take care of yourself during and after treatment,
precautions you may need to take,
and the benefits and risks of the treatment.
For more information on radiation therapy,
please visit the American Cancer Society
website at www.cancer.org.
(inspiring music)