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Radiation therapy is the use of high-energy x-rays or particles to kill cancer cells. It is a way to kill cancer cells that cannot be removed with surgery or other procedures like ablation or embolization.

When might radiation therapy be used?

Radiation is often not very helpful in treating gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), so it is not commonly used. Sometimes it can be used to relieve symptoms like pain or bleeding from tumors that can’t be treated with other methods.

How radiation therapy is done

This type of treatment is given by a doctor called a radiation oncologist.

Before treatment starts, the radiation team must create a treatment plan. The team will take careful measurements with imaging tests such as CT or MRI scans during a session called a treatment simulation. The radiation field, or area where radiation will be given, and the dose will be defined based on these tests.

Each treatment is like getting an x-ray, although the dose of radiation is much stronger. The treatment itself is painless. It lasts only a few minutes, although the setup time – getting you into place for treatment – usually takes longer. You might get radiation treatment for several days in a row.

Possible side effects of radiation therapy

The side effects of radiation therapy depend on where the radiation is given and the dose of radiation.

Short-term side effects might include:

• Fatigue
• Hair loss in the area receiving radiation
• Skin that might be red, tender, or dry, like a sunburn, in the area receiving radiation
• Mouth sores, trouble swallowing, and/or loss of appetite (from radiation to the head and neck area)
• Nausea, vomiting, cramps, and/or diarrhea (from radiation to the abdomen or pelvis)
• Damage to the bladder, which might cause pain or problems when passing urine (from radiation to the abdomen or pelvis)

Most of these side effects go away a short while after treatment ends, although fatigue and skin changes might last longer. Radiation can also have long-term effects on health. Talk with your doctor about the possible side effects of radiation therapy and ways to reduce or relieve them.