The radiation therapy is a treatment in which the ionizing radiation, within which the rays are xy radioactivity used; being used in order to eliminate tumor cells from the body, whose existence generates cancer possibilities in the body.
It is considered an oncological type procedure and its use can be referred to a small area or cover an area of considerable size. It is officially recognized since 1978, although its name was admitted in 1984; next to it is the Hospital Radiophysics, registered in 1993, with an application similar to radiotherapy.
It works by emanating gamma and alpha rays to cancer tissues, destroying them and preventing their reproduction, since they are more sensitive to radiation and cannot repair damage as efficiently as healthy tissue would. The first traces of the use of radiation therapy date back to 1899, shortly after the discovery of x-rays and radio. Starting in 1980, the use of simple two-dimensional radiographs was included to try to locate tumors, although they were not very exact and a large amount of radiation could be fired at healthy tissues; Today there are machines that allow accurate localization of malignant tissue, in addition to adjusting the intensity of theradiation.
It can be classified taking into account three characteristics: according to the distance from the source, subdivided into Brachytherapy and Teletherapy, the first being the placement of small radiation capsules within the tumorous tissue and the last of the radiation at a distance from the patient; secondarily, the principles of the temporal sequence can be classified under, among which are: exclusive, adjuvant or concomitant radiotherapy, the first being characterized as the only treatment that the patient receives, the second as the complement and the third for being used at the same time as another, to enhance the results; finally, its use can be classified as curative and palliative, that is, according to what purposes it will be used.
