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External Beam Therapy
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What is external beam therapy? |
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External beam therapy is delivered externally from a machine directed to the cancer inside the patient. Examples of external beam therapy machines include linear accelerators, cobalt machines, or orthovoltage x-ray machines. The type of machine used will be determined by the radiation oncologist.
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External beam therapy delivers ionizing radiation to the cancer, destroying cancer cells. |
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How does external beam therapy work? |
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To give healthy cells time to recuperate, patients receive small doses of radiation at one time, with time enough between treatments. Most patients receive the radiation treatments on an outpatient basis.
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Although each hospital may have specific protocols in place, generally, external beam therapy follows this process: |
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- The patient usually receives external beam therapy four or five times a week.
- Positioning and actual treatment usually only takes a few minutes.
- When external beam therapy begins, the technologist closely monitors the patient on a television screen in another room.
- The patient must lie still on the treatment table during radiation.
- If the tumor shrinks, the beam of radiation may be adjusted to spare more healthy tissue.
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