More information about radiation therapy
To learn more about how radiation is used to treat cancer, see Radiation Therapy.
To learn about some of the side effects listed here and how to manage them, see Managing Cancer-related Side Effects.
Radiation therapy is treatment with high-energy rays or particles to destroy cancer cells. Radiation therapy is seldom part of the main treatment for people with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), but it may be used in certain situations.
External beam radiation therapy, in which a machine sends a beam of radiation to a specific part of the body, is the type of radiation used most often for CLL. Before your treatment starts, the radiation team will take careful measurements to determine the correct angles for aiming the radiation beams and the proper dose of radiation. Radiation therapy is a lot like getting an x-ray, but the radiation is more intense. The procedure itself is painless. Each treatment lasts only a few minutes, but the setup time − getting you into place for treatment − usually takes longer.
Common short-term side effects of radiation therapy include:
Ask your doctor what side effects you can expect.
To learn more about how radiation is used to treat cancer, see Radiation Therapy.
To learn about some of the side effects listed here and how to manage them, see Managing Cancer-related Side Effects.
The American Cancer Society medical and editorial content team
Our team is made up of doctors and oncology certified nurses with deep knowledge of cancer care as well as journalists, editors, and translators with extensive experience in medical writing.
American Society of Clinical Oncology. Leukemia - Chronic Lymphocytic - CLL: Treatment Options. 06/2016. Accessed at www.cancer.net/cancer-types/leukemia-chronic-lymphocytic-cll/treatment-options on April 17, 2018.
National Comprehensive Cancer Network, Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®), Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia/Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma, Version 5.2018 -- March 26, 2018. Accessed at www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/pdf/cll.pdf on April 17, 2018.
Last Revised: May 10, 2018
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