Back to Basics: Explaining Radiation Therapy to the Curious

Radiation therapy is an important cornerstone of oncologic therapy but is feared to the point of intimidation by too many patients. Yet by the end of treatment, most patients find the experience of radiation therapy to be more pleasant than they had feared. With just a few simple words of patient education, medical oncologists and surgical oncologists can help alleviate some of that fear even before the patient sees the radiation oncologist. This talk provides a different approach to tangibly understanding radiation therapy for what it is (rather than simply saying that it usually won’t make a patient radioactive). The talk addresses the most common form of radiation therapy, LINAC-based external beam radiation therapy.

Learning Objectives:

1. Summarize how radiation therapy is treatment with waves of energy.

2. Explain how radiation therapy is a form of “light” therapy.

3. Explain how linear accelerators work on the same principles as a room lamp.

4. Review how patients are not radioactive or exposed to radioactivity.