Core IM | Internal Medicine Podcast #126 Radiation Oncology Part 1: 5 Pearls Segment
26 snips
May 24, 2023 AI Snips
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Radiation Therapy Basics
- Radiation therapy uses the same photons as x-rays and CT scans, just at higher energy levels.
- These photons create free radicals, causing DNA damage that leads to cancer cell death.
Radiation's Selective Effect
- Healthy cells possess intact DNA repair pathways, enabling recovery from radiation damage.
- Cancer cells often lack these repair mechanisms, making them vulnerable to radiation.
Radiation's Role in Cancer Treatment
- Radiation therapy has various roles in cancer treatment.
- It can be neoadjuvant (before surgery), adjuvant (after surgery), or definitive (to cure).