Radiotherapy

Radiotherapy works by targeting ionising radiation directly at the cancer cells to damage and destroy them.

Radiotherapy can cure many cancers by destroying the tumour or stopping it from growing any further. It is often used before surgery to reduce the size of a tumour prior to removal or after surgery to destroy any cancer cells that may be left behind. In some cases the cancer cannot be cured, but radiotherapy can be used to slow its growth and to manage and reduce cancer symptoms.

It is important that radiotherapy is targeted accurately to minimise damage to surrounding healthy tissue, though previously healthy cells can usually repair themselves if given time to rest. It is therefore equally important that the dose and timing of treatment are precisely calculated and monitored to allow healthy cells to recover.

Radiotherapy can be administered using beams of radiation aimed at the tumour from outside the body (external beam radiotherapy), or by introducing radioactive sources into the body.

Advancements in medical technology* have allowed the development of extremely accurate targeting and delivery of external beam radiotherapy. CPUK uses the latest specialist techniques including IMRT (intensity modulated radiotherapy) and IGRT (image guided radiotherapy) following CT planning and dosimetry to plan and deliver and the right levels of radiotherapy directly to the cancer tumour and minimise damage to healthy tissue and organs.