Radiation therapy, or radiotherapy, is a really important treatment mechanism for most cancers. It’s used widely in a range of cancers, but sometimes not widely enough. And certainly one of the most important things, if you have a cancer, is that your treatment is overseen by what we would call a multidisciplinary team.
Very commonly, that multidisciplinary team involves surgeons, radiation oncologists, they’re the people that deliver radiotherapy; and medical oncologists. And this is so important because it means that every possible treatment choice is being considered as the treatment for your cancer is being planned. The cancers in which radiation plays a critical part are very widespread.
Things like breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, mouth and throat, head and neck cancer, and brain cancers. All of those are cancers where radiation plays an indispensable part.
Dr Michael Boyer is Medical Oncologist at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse
