Info
Radiotherapy
Treatment
What it means
A treatment that uses ionising radiation to destroy cancer cells or shrink the tumor. It can be external or internal (brachytherapy). It is precise and spares the surrounding healthy tissues.
Related terms
The terms below often appear alongside this one. Each definition is right here, so you do not have to look elsewhere.
- Chemotherapy (cytotoxic drugs)
- A drug treatment that uses chemical substances to destroy cells that divide rapidly, including cancer cells. It can be given intravenously or by mouth, in repeated courses. It also affects some healthy cells (hair follicles, the stomach lining), which explains the side effects.
- Adjuvant treatment
- Treatment given after surgery or after the main treatment to reduce the risk of recurrence. It may be chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormone therapy or targeted therapy, depending on the type of cancer.
- Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT)
- A hormonal treatment that lowers the level of testosterone in the body or blocks its effect, used in hormone-sensitive prostate cancer. It can be done with medication (injections) or surgically.
Other terms in “Treatment”
Glossary definitions are written for patients by the OncoDots team and go through internal medical review. They explain terms; they do not establish a diagnosis and do not recommend a treatment.