More than half of all cancer patients will have radiation therapy sometime during the course of treatment.  In radiation therapy, doses of high-energy internal or external radiation (measured in rads) are given to the patient.  A child undergoing radiation will receive several thousand rads over a relatively short period of time. This damages cellular DNA and makes cancerous cells unable to multiply.  Normal cells are affected too, but they are usually able to heal themselves after treatment ends.  

Radiation is used for three main reasons: to control cancer, to cure cancer, or to relieve symptoms.  It may also be used to prevent a tumor from forming, even if no cancer cells are present. Like chemotherapy, radiation may be used before surgery, to reduce the size of the tumor, or after surgery, to kill stray cancer cells.  Unlike chemotherapy, however, radiation targets only those cells in the area where the cancer is located.  

A child can receive radiation therapy either internally or externally.  It can be given internally by placing a small amount of radioactive material into direct contact with the tumor.  This is called brachytherapy and involves surgery.  External beam radiation therapy, on the other hand, uses a machine called a linear accelerator to generate high-energy x-rays aimed at the affected area.  This procedure is painless.

The length, strength, and frequency of treatment depends primarily on the type of cancer and how far it has progressed.  Other factors are considered too, such as the patient's overall health.  Generally, radiation is given 5 days a week for 6 or 7 weeks.  If it is given to relieve symptoms, treatment may not last that long.

As with all therapies, radiation may cause some unpleasant side effects.  These generally include:

• Nausea
• Loss of hair
• Fatigue
• Skin irritation of treated area
• Loss of appetite
• Increased risk of infection
• Increased bruising and bleeding

Side effects can depend largely on the area being treated.  Some people experience more side effects than others, and some people experience no side effects at all.  The discomfort is usually not intense and can be helped with proper medication and diet.  Symptoms will typically linger for a few weeks after treatment ends.

Radiation has been a cancer treatment for more than 50 years, and it is frequently used in combination with chemotherapy.  This increases the effectiveness of treatment.  Amputation, which was once a standard treatment, is now almost always avoidable thanks in large part to radiation and chemotherapy.  Both of these treatments can shrink the tumor enough to make limb salvage surgery possible.

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