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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 focuses 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 advanced stomach
cancer, such as pain, bleeding, and eating problems.
Side effects from radiation therapy for stomach cancer can
include:
- mild skin problems at the site where the radiation was
aimed
- nausea and vomiting
- diarrhea
- fatigue
- low blood cell counts
These usually go away within several weeks after the treatment
is finished. When radiation is given with chemotherapy, side effects
are often worse. Please be sure to talk with your doctor about any side
effects you have, because there are often ways to relieve them. It is
also very important that you get treated at a center that has extensive
experience in treating stomach cancer.
Last Medical Review: 11/03/2009
Last Revised: 11/03/2009
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