Therapeutic radiology (also called radiation oncology or radiation therapy) is the treatment of cancer and other diseases with radiation. Oncology is the branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Radiation in various forms is used to kill the cancer cells by preventing them from multiplying. Therapeutic radiology may be used to cure or control cancer, or to alleviate some of the symptoms associated with cancer.
Physicians who treat diseases with therapeutic radiology are called radiation oncologists.
Therapeutic radiology treatment may be used alone, or in conjunction with other types of treatment, such as surgery, chemotherapy (the use of anticancer drugs to treat cancerous cells), and/or other treatments.
The level and type of radiation used will be determined by the radiation oncologist based on the type of cancer, location of the tumor, and sensitivity of the surrounding tissue.