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Understanding Head and
Neck Cancer

Questions about Radiation Therapy...
•	What is Radiation Therapy?*
•	Planning Your Radiation Therapy
•	Why have radiation Therapy?*
•	External Beam Radiation Therapy*
•	Managing Side Effects*
	*From The Canadian Cancer Society website

Head and Neck Cancer

Understanding Lip and Mouth Cancer

Radiation Therapy
Radiation Therapy (also sometimes called Radiotherapy) is a treatment often used for people diagnosed with Head and Neck cancer. Radiation Therapy aims to eliminate the tumour and prevent the cancer spreading. It can control tumour growth and reduce symptoms. It can be used alone or together with surgery, chemotherapy, hormone therapy or other treatments. There are different types of Head and Neck cancer, the type and amount of radiation therapy given depends on the type of cancer.

Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays to destroy cancer cells. To treat Head and Neck cancer external beam radiation therapy is used. In this type of radiation therapy the rays are carefully aimed at the tumour avoiding surrounding healthy tissue.

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