| Linear Accelerator | Teletherapy Co-60 | Brachytherapy Systems | Cobalt Teletheraphy Bhabhatron – II | RT Simulator – Imagin |
| Direct Digital X-Ray – Uniray | Medical Imaging Viewer – UniVision | Moving Laser – Align | 3D Radiation Field Analyzer – Scanomatika | DigitalRadiography UniRay2000 |
Radiotherapy is used to treat conditions such as cancer, thyroid disorders and some blood disorders. It is used to treat about 40% of people with cancer. The length of each course of radiotherapy depends on the size of the cancer and where it is on the body.
During radiotherapy, controlled doses of high-energy radiation, usually X-rays, destroy cancer cells in the affected area.
Uses of radiotherapy
Radiotherapy is used for a number of different medical purposes including:
- to cure an illness, for example by destroying a tumor (abnormal tissue),
- to control symptoms, such as relieving pain,
- before surgery, to shrink a tumor so that it is easier to remove, and
- after surgery, to destroy small amounts of tumor that may be left.
Radiotherapy is sometimes used in a process called total body irradiation (TBI). In severe cases of leukaemia (cancer of the bone marrow and white blood cells) or lymphoma (cancer of the lymphatic system), the whole body is given radiation to destroy the bone marrow cells.
After TBI, new bone marrow is transplanted. The new bone marrow is taken from a donor or from the patient before TBI.
Types Of Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy can be given in two ways:
- External radiotherapy, where radiotherapy is given from outside the body using X-rays, electrons or other particles such as protons.
- Internal radiotherapy, where radiotherapy is given from within the body, either by drinking a liquid that is absorbed by the cancerous cells or by putting radioactive material into or close to the tumor.
