In cancer treatment, X-rays play a key role in radiotherapy, where they are used to destroy or damage cancer cells.
High-energy X-rays can penetrate deep into body tissues. When these rays pass through cancer cells, they damage the DNA inside the cell nucleus. This damage prevents the cells from dividing and growing, eventually leading to their death. Since cancer cells usually divide more rapidly than normal cells, they are more sensitive to this radiation damage.
The process involves:
- Targeting: Modern radiotherapy machines focus X-rays precisely on the tumor, minimizing harm to surrounding healthy tissue.
- Fractionation: The total radiation dose is given in small sessions over several days or weeks, allowing healthy cells time to recover.
- Combination therapy: X-rays are sometimes used along with chemotherapy or surgery to improve treatment effectiveness.
Radiotherapy with X-rays is used for many types of cancer, including those in the brain, breast, lung, and prostate. It can be applied to shrink tumors before surgery, destroy remaining cancer cells after surgery, or relieve symptoms in advanced stages.