Radiation therapy uses high-energy radiation to kill cancer cells. External beam radiation therapy focuses radiation on the cancer from a machine outside the body. Treatments are often given once or twice a day, 5 days a week for several weeks. Each treatment lasts only a few minutes, and is similar to having a regular x-ray test. As with a diagnostic x-ray, the radiation passes through the skin and other tissues before it reaches the tumor. The actual radiation exposure time is very short, and most of the treatment time is spent precisely positioning the patient so that the radiation is aimed accurately at the cancer.

Brachytherapy (internal radiation therapy) uses small pellets of radioactive material placed next to or directly into the cancer, sometimes in thin plastic tubes. The tubes containing the pellets are left in place for a few days and then removed. The actual time is determined by the strength of the radioactive pellets and the size of the tumor.

Radiation therapy is not often used as the main treatment for adrenal cortical carcinoma because the cancer cells are not easy to kill with x-rays. Radiation may be used after surgery to help keep the tumor from coming back -- this is called adjuvant therapy. Radiation may also be used to treat areas of cancer spread, such as in the bones or brain.

Last Medical Review: 03/20/2009
Last Revised: 03/20/2009