What Happens in Radiation Therapy 

Lawrence W. Margolis, MD, and T. Stanley
Meyler, MD
 
About half of all people with cancer need
radiation therapy as part of their overall
treatment plan at some point in their illness. It
is often recommended as the primary treatment,
but can also be used along with chemotherapy or surgery. When used with surgery, it might be given before, during or after the operation. When used with chemotherapy, it may be given before or after the program begins or at the same time as chemotherapy.
    There are two main goals in radiation therapy:
• Cure the cancer. This usually requires a long and
  complex course of treatment.
• Relieve symptoms (palliation). Treatment to achieve
  this goal is usually less complex and takes less time.