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| 2. To shrink tumors so they can be removed. |
| 3. As a palliative treatment for advanced cancer to reduce the pain of bone metastases and to shrink tumors in particular parts of the body, such as the spinal cord, where tumors may be pressing on a sensitive area. |
| Radiation is commonly used as a standard form of adjunct therapy for cancers of the colon and rectum, one of the most common types of cancer in the United States, even though research suggests that it offers little or no survival advantage beyond the benefits of surgery, which is the primary treatment. 1 |
| Depending on the dose and the part of the body that is treated, radiation therapy has various side effects of different intensity that may or may not be permanent. They include skin reactions (dryness, itchiness, rashes, redness, darkening, irritation, blistering, cracking), hair loss, pneumonia and other respiratory infections, permanent hoarseness, cataracts, earaches, dry mouth, sore mouth and throat, difficulty swallowing, tooth problems, loss of appetite, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea or constipation, abdominal cramps, sterility, impotence or decreased sexual desire, cystitis, menopausal symptoms, fatigue or weakness, decrease in the number of white blood cells, nerve damage, and other tissue and organ damage. |
| In addition, the radiation absorbed by the body can cause cancer later in the patient's life because it induces free-radical damage and cell mutation and disturbs the functioning of solar photon energy electrons, which allow for normal cellular functions and reactions. |
| Radiation reacts with all of the body's cells but particularly with lipids, which in turn leads to an acceleration of oxidative processes, mutations, and perhaps the spread of cancer. Radiation therapy is also a known cause of second cancers, particularly leukemia. |
| Chapter 11 presents protocols that are helpful and offer protection for those undergoing radiation therapy. |
| Chemotherapy |
| Chemotherapy involves the administration of various chemical compounds and drugs for the treatment of cancer. It is used as a primary treatment for some cancers, including leukemias and lymphomas. It can also be used in addition to surgery for solid tumors that have advanced beyond their original location, both regionally and distantly. |
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