Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays or particles to kill cancer cells in a specific area of the body.

External-beam radiation therapy is the type of radiation therapy often used to treat stomach cancer. This treatment involves focusing the radiation on the cancer from a machine outside the body. Having this type of radiation therapy is like having an x-ray, except that each treatment lasts longer, and the patient usually receives 5 treatments per week over a period of weeks or months.

After surgery, radiation therapy can be used to kill very small remnants of the cancer that cannot be seen and removed during surgery. Radiation therapy, especially when combined with chemotherapy drugs such as 5-FU, may delay or prevent cancer recurrence after surgery and may help patients live longer. Radiation therapy can also be used to ease the symptoms of stomach cancer, such as pain, bleeding, and eating problems.

Side effects from radiation therapy can include mild skin problems, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or fatigue. These usually go away 2 to 3 weeks after the treatment is finished. Radiation therapy may also make the side effects of chemotherapy worse. Please be sure to talk with your doctor about these side effects since there are ways to relieve them. It is also very important that you receive your treatment at a center that has experience in treating stomach cancer.