Gynecologic Cancers may be treated with radiation therapy alone
or in combination with chemotherapy and surgery. There are four
main ways radiation therapy is used: - It can be the main
treatment to cure the tumor. - It can be combined with
chemotherapy. - It can be used to prevent recurrence. - It can
be used as a palliative treatment. It can be used that way for
both defined tumors and tumors that have spread. External Beam
Radiation Therapy The most common way to administer radiation is
to carefully focus a beam of radiation from a machine outside
the body. This is known as external beam radiation therapy. To
reduce the risk of side effects, doctors can carefully pinpoint
the exact dose needed and aim the beam with special techniques
such as IMRT or brachytherapy (see below). IMRT has
revolutionized radiation treatment. IMRT technology precisely
molds the radiation beam's intensity to the shape of the tumor.
As the dose is precisely conformed, it allows the physician to
deliver a higher dose to the tumor w