{"entity":{"id":"radiotherapy","kind":"term","name":"Radiotherapy","aka":["radiation therapy","radiation treatment","radiation","irradiation","irradiated","radiotherapy fractions","fractionation","hypofractionated","chemoradiotherapy","chemoradiation","radiation oncology","radiation oncologist","radiosensitiser","radiosensitizer","radiosensitive","radioresistant","external beam","radiation oncologists","radiosensitisers"],"tldr":"Using high-energy X-rays or particles to damage the DNA of cancer cells in a precisely aimed volume of the body. On its own it cures early prostate, larynx, cervix and skin cancers, it is combined with chemotherapy in head and neck, lung, oesophageal and rectal cancers, and about half of all cancer patients receive it.","summary":"Modern radiotherapy shapes beams to the tumour from several angles (IMRT, image-guided and stereotactic techniques) so that the tumour gets a lethal dose while surrounding tissue gets much less; treatment is usually split into daily fractions over one to seven weeks to let normal tissue repair, though ultra-short courses (SBRT) are increasingly used. It is a local therapy, curative on its own in early prostate, larynx, cervix and skin cancers, combined with chemotherapy in head and neck, lung, oesophageal and rectal cancers, and used after surgery to sterilise the operative bed. Protons and carbon ions spare more normal tissue; radiation may also help immunotherapy by releasing tumour antigens (the abscopal effect), and radioligand therapy delivers radiation internally through a targeting molecule.","asOf":"2026-09-09","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiation_therapy","links":[{"label":"Wikipedia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiation_therapy"}],"tags":[],"related":["systemic-vs-local-therapy","dna-term","abscopal-effect","apoptosis","palliative-treatment","toxicity-grade"],"cancers":[],"sections":[],"technologies":["imrt-igrt","sbrt","proton-therapy","brachytherapy","radioligand-therapy","mr-linac","flash-rt"],"targets":[],"drugs":[],"companies":[],"institutions":[],"pathways":[],"terms":[],"trials":[],"people":[],"bottlenecks":[],"keyPapers":[],"journals":[],"dependsOn":[],"notes":[],"category":"Clinic basics"},"route":"/terms/radiotherapy/","neighbours":{"term":[{"id":"abscopal-effect","kind":"term","name":"Abscopal effect","route":"/terms/abscopal-effect/"},{"id":"apoptosis","kind":"term","name":"Apoptosis","route":"/terms/apoptosis/"},{"id":"disease-volume-chaarted","kind":"term","name":"Disease volume (CHAARTED high-volume versus low-volume) and LATITUDE risk","route":"/terms/disease-volume-chaarted/"},{"id":"dna-term","kind":"term","name":"DNA","route":"/terms/dna-term/"},{"id":"ependymoma-molecular-groups","kind":"term","name":"Ependymoma molecular groups (PF-A, PF-B, ZFTA, YAP1, MYCN)","route":"/terms/ependymoma-molecular-groups/"},{"id":"extranodal-extension","kind":"term","name":"Extranodal extension (ENE)","route":"/terms/extranodal-extension/"},{"id":"graded-prognostic-assessment","kind":"term","name":"Graded Prognostic Assessment (GPA) for brain metastases","route":"/terms/graded-prognostic-assessment/"},{"id":"palliative-treatment","kind":"term","name":"Palliative","route":"/terms/palliative-treatment/"},{"id":"systemic-vs-local-therapy","kind":"term","name":"Systemic versus local therapy","route":"/terms/systemic-vs-local-therapy/"},{"id":"toxicity-grade","kind":"term","name":"Toxicity grade","route":"/terms/toxicity-grade/"}],"technology":[{"id":"brachytherapy","kind":"technology","name":"Brachytherapy","route":"/technologies/brachytherapy/"},{"id":"rejuv-paed-breast-after-chest-radiotherapy","kind":"technology","name":"Breast cancer after chest radiotherapy in childhood, and the screening that follows","route":"/technologies/rejuv-paed-breast-after-chest-radiotherapy/"},{"id":"flash-rt","kind":"technology","name":"FLASH radiotherapy","route":"/technologies/flash-rt/"},{"id":"rejuv-paed-growth-and-height","kind":"technology","name":"Growth and final height after treatment in childhood, and growth hormone","route":"/technologies/rejuv-paed-growth-and-height/"},{"id":"rejuv-paed-hearing","kind":"technology","name":"Hearing after platinum and cranial radiotherapy in a developing child","route":"/technologies/rejuv-paed-hearing/"},{"id":"imrt-igrt","kind":"technology","name":"IMRT / IGRT (modern external beam)","route":"/technologies/imrt-igrt/"},{"id":"rejuv-paed-kidneys","kind":"technology","name":"Kidneys after cisplatin, ifosfamide, radiotherapy and nephrectomy in childhood","route":"/technologies/rejuv-paed-kidneys/"},{"id":"rejuv-paed-late-mortality","kind":"technology","name":"Late deaths after childhood cancer, what causes them, and the proof that gentler treatment worked","route":"/technologies/rejuv-paed-late-mortality/"},{"id":"rejuv-paed-neurocognitive","kind":"technology","name":"Memory, attention and learning after treatment of a childhood cancer","route":"/technologies/rejuv-paed-neurocognitive/"},{"id":"mr-linac","kind":"technology","name":"MR-guided adaptive radiotherapy","route":"/technologies/mr-linac/"},{"id":"proton-therapy","kind":"technology","name":"Proton therapy","route":"/technologies/proton-therapy/"},{"id":"radioligand-therapy","kind":"technology","name":"Radioligand therapy (beta emitters)","route":"/technologies/radioligand-therapy/"},{"id":"sbrt","kind":"technology","name":"SBRT / SABR (stereotactic radiotherapy)","route":"/technologies/sbrt/"},{"id":"rejuv-paed-second-cancers","kind":"technology","name":"Second cancers after childhood cancer: the risk by treatment, and why it is falling","route":"/technologies/rejuv-paed-second-cancers/"},{"id":"rejuv-paed-teeth-and-face","kind":"technology","name":"Teeth, jaws and facial growth after treatment in childhood","route":"/technologies/rejuv-paed-teeth-and-face/"},{"id":"rejuv-paed-pituitary-and-puberty","kind":"technology","name":"The pituitary, puberty and the hypothalamic axis after cranial radiotherapy in childhood","route":"/technologies/rejuv-paed-pituitary-and-puberty/"}],"cancer":[{"id":"advanced-recurrent-endometrial-cancer","kind":"cancer","name":"Advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer","route":"/cancers/advanced-recurrent-endometrial-cancer/"},{"id":"colorectal","kind":"cancer","name":"Colorectal cancer","route":"/cancers/colorectal/"},{"id":"extrapulmonary-nec","kind":"cancer","name":"Extrapulmonary neuroendocrine carcinoma","route":"/cancers/extrapulmonary-nec/"},{"id":"neuroblastoma-intermediate-risk","kind":"cancer","name":"Intermediate-risk neuroblastoma","route":"/cancers/neuroblastoma-intermediate-risk/"},{"id":"locally-advanced-cervical-cancer","kind":"cancer","name":"Locally advanced cervical cancer","route":"/cancers/locally-advanced-cervical-cancer/"},{"id":"lung-cancer","kind":"cancer","name":"Lung cancer (all types)","route":"/cancers/lung-cancer/"},{"id":"prostate","kind":"cancer","name":"Prostate cancer","route":"/cancers/prostate/"}],"person":[{"id":"ali-taher","kind":"person","name":"Ali Taher","route":"/people/ali-taher/"},{"id":"carl-james","kind":"person","name":"Carl James","route":"/people/carl-james/"},{"id":"david-palma","kind":"person","name":"David A. Palma","route":"/people/david-palma/"},{"id":"david-sebag-montefiore","kind":"person","name":"David Sebag-Montefiore","route":"/people/david-sebag-montefiore/"},{"id":"jeffrey-dome","kind":"person","name":"Jeffrey S. Dome","route":"/people/jeffrey-dome/"},{"id":"ralph-weichselbaum","kind":"person","name":"Ralph Weichselbaum","route":"/people/ralph-weichselbaum/"}],"paper":[{"id":"paper-adriatic-nejm-2024","kind":"paper","name":"ADRIATIC: durvalumab after chemoradiotherapy for limited-stage small-cell lung cancer","route":"/key-papers/paper-adriatic-nejm-2024/"},{"id":"paper-bao-glioma-stem-cells-radioresistance-nature-2006","kind":"paper","name":"Bao 2006: glioma stem cells resist radiotherapy by activating the DNA damage response","route":"/key-papers/paper-bao-glioma-stem-cells-radioresistance-nature-2006/"},{"id":"paper-travis-breast-cancer-after-hodgkin-radiotherapy-jama-2003","kind":"paper","name":"Breast cancer following radiotherapy and chemotherapy among young women with Hodgkin disease","route":"/key-papers/paper-travis-breast-cancer-after-hodgkin-radiotherapy-jama-2003/"},{"id":"paper-van-nimwegen-cardiovascular-disease-after-hodgkin-jama-intern-med-2015","kind":"paper","name":"Cardiovascular disease after Hodgkin lymphoma treatment: 40-year disease risk","route":"/key-papers/paper-van-nimwegen-cardiovascular-disease-after-hodgkin-jama-intern-med-2015/"},{"id":"paper-nsclc-collaborative-group-chemotherapy-meta-analysis-bmj-1995","kind":"paper","name":"Chemotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer: a meta-analysis using updated data on individual patients from 52 randomised clinical trials","route":"/key-papers/paper-nsclc-collaborative-group-chemotherapy-meta-analysis-bmj-1995/"},{"id":"paper-eortc-h10-pet-adapted-early-hodgkin-jco-2017","kind":"paper","name":"Early positron emission tomography response-adapted treatment in stage I and II Hodgkin lymphoma: final results of the randomized EORTC/LYSA/FIL H10 trial","route":"/key-papers/paper-eortc-h10-pet-adapted-early-hodgkin-jco-2017/"},{"id":"paper-spigel-pacific-five-year-survival-jco-2022","kind":"paper","name":"Five-year survival outcomes from the PACIFIC trial: durvalumab after chemoradiotherapy in stage III non-small-cell lung cancer","route":"/key-papers/paper-spigel-pacific-five-year-survival-jco-2022/"},{"id":"paper-swedish-rectal-cancer-trial-preoperative-radiotherapy-nejm-1997","kind":"paper","name":"Improved survival with preoperative radiotherapy in resectable rectal cancer (Swedish Rectal Cancer Trial)","route":"/key-papers/paper-swedish-rectal-cancer-trial-preoperative-radiotherapy-nejm-1997/"},{"id":"paper-lace-adjuvant-cisplatin-pooled-analysis-jco-2008","kind":"paper","name":"Lung adjuvant cisplatin evaluation: a pooled analysis by the LACE Collaborative Group","route":"/key-papers/paper-lace-adjuvant-cisplatin-pooled-analysis-jco-2008/"},{"id":"paper-conroy-prodige-23-neoadjuvant-folfirinox-rectal-lancet-oncol-2021","kind":"paper","name":"Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with FOLFIRINOX and preoperative chemoradiotherapy for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (UNICANCER-PRODIGE 23)","route":"/key-papers/paper-conroy-prodige-23-neoadjuvant-folfirinox-rectal-lancet-oncol-2021/"},{"id":"paper-wang-adjuvant-chemoradiotherapy-nomogram-gallbladder-cancer-jco-2011","kind":"paper","name":"Nomogram for predicting the benefit of adjuvant chemoradiotherapy for resected gallbladder cancer","route":"/key-papers/paper-wang-adjuvant-chemoradiotherapy-nomogram-gallbladder-cancer-jco-2011/"},{"id":"paper-habr-gama-nonoperative-stage-0-rectal-ann-surg-2004","kind":"paper","name":"Operative versus nonoperative treatment for stage 0 distal rectal cancer following chemoradiation therapy: long-term results","route":"/key-papers/paper-habr-gama-nonoperative-stage-0-rectal-ann-surg-2004/"},{"id":"paper-garcia-aguilar-opra-organ-preservation-jco-2022","kind":"paper","name":"Organ preservation in patients with rectal adenocarcinoma treated with total neoadjuvant therapy (OPRA)","route":"/key-papers/paper-garcia-aguilar-opra-organ-preservation-jco-2022/"},{"id":"paper-lu-laura-osimertinib-stage-iii-nejm-2024","kind":"paper","name":"Osimertinib after chemoradiotherapy in stage III EGFR-mutated NSCLC","route":"/key-papers/paper-lu-laura-osimertinib-stage-iii-nejm-2024/"},{"id":"paper-ghsg-hd16-pet-guided-early-favourable-hodgkin-jco-2019","kind":"paper","name":"Positron emission tomography-guided treatment in early-stage favorable Hodgkin lymphoma: final results of the international, randomized phase III HD16 trial by the German Hodgkin Study Group","route":"/key-papers/paper-ghsg-hd16-pet-guided-early-favourable-hodgkin-jco-2019/"},{"id":"paper-kapiteijn-dutch-tme-preoperative-radiotherapy-nejm-2001","kind":"paper","name":"Preoperative radiotherapy combined with total mesorectal excision for resectable rectal cancer (Dutch TME trial)","route":"/key-papers/paper-kapiteijn-dutch-tme-preoperative-radiotherapy-nejm-2001/"},{"id":"paper-sebag-montefiore-cr07-preoperative-radiotherapy-lancet-2009","kind":"paper","name":"Preoperative radiotherapy versus selective postoperative chemoradiotherapy in patients with rectal cancer (MRC CR07 and NCIC-CTG C016)","route":"/key-papers/paper-sebag-montefiore-cr07-preoperative-radiotherapy-lancet-2009/"},{"id":"paper-auperin-prophylactic-cranial-irradiation-sclc-nejm-1999","kind":"paper","name":"Prophylactic cranial irradiation for patients with small-cell lung cancer in complete remission","route":"/key-papers/paper-auperin-prophylactic-cranial-irradiation-sclc-nejm-1999/"},{"id":"paper-trog-99-03-radiotherapy-systemic-therapy-early-follicular-jco-2018","kind":"paper","name":"Randomized trial of systemic therapy after involved-field radiotherapy in patients with early-stage follicular lymphoma: TROG 99.03","route":"/key-papers/paper-trog-99-03-radiotherapy-systemic-therapy-early-follicular-jco-2018/"},{"id":"paper-esmo-rectal-cancer-guideline-ann-oncol-2017","kind":"paper","name":"Rectal cancer: ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up","route":"/key-papers/paper-esmo-rectal-cancer-guideline-ann-oncol-2017/"},{"id":"paper-schaapveld-second-cancer-risk-40-years-hodgkin-nejm-2015","kind":"paper","name":"Second cancer risk up to 40 years after treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma","route":"/key-papers/paper-schaapveld-second-cancer-risk-40-years-hodgkin-nejm-2015/"},{"id":"paper-bahadoer-rapido-short-course-radiotherapy-lancet-oncol-2021","kind":"paper","name":"Short-course radiotherapy followed by chemotherapy before total mesorectal excision versus preoperative chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer (RAPIDO)","route":"/key-papers/paper-bahadoer-rapido-short-course-radiotherapy-lancet-oncol-2021/"},{"id":"paper-swog-s0809-adjuvant-chemoradiation-jco-2015","kind":"paper","name":"SWOG S0809: A Phase II Intergroup Trial of Adjuvant Capecitabine and Gemcitabine Followed by Radiotherapy and Concurrent Capecitabine in Extrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma and Gallbladder Carcinoma","route":"/key-papers/paper-swog-s0809-adjuvant-chemoradiation-jco-2015/"},{"id":"paper-turrisi-twice-daily-thoracic-radiotherapy-limited-sclc-nejm-1999","kind":"paper","name":"Twice-daily compared with once-daily thoracic radiotherapy in limited small-cell lung cancer treated concurrently with cisplatin and etoposide","route":"/key-papers/paper-turrisi-twice-daily-thoracic-radiotherapy-limited-sclc-nejm-1999/"},{"id":"paper-giannis-ajcc8-gallbladder-staging-validation-cancers-2021","kind":"paper","name":"Validation of the 8th Edition American Joint Commission on Cancer (AJCC) Gallbladder Cancer Staging System: Prognostic Discrimination and Identification of Key Predictive Factors","route":"/key-papers/paper-giannis-ajcc8-gallbladder-staging-validation-cancers-2021/"}],"roadmap":[{"id":"colorectal-roadmap","kind":"roadmap","name":"Colorectal cancer roadmap: from the adenoma-carcinoma sequence and the first screening trials to total mesorectal excision, oxaliplatin, RAS testing, immunotherapy for mismatch repair-deficient disease, ctDNA-guided treatment and organ preservation","route":"/roadmaps/colorectal-roadmap/"},{"id":"gallbladder-cancer-roadmap","kind":"roadmap","name":"Gallbladder cancer roadmap: from a chance finding at gallstone surgery to a disease with its own trials","route":"/roadmaps/gallbladder-cancer-roadmap/"},{"id":"lymphoma-roadmap","kind":"roadmap","name":"Lymphoma roadmap: from a jaw tumour in Uganda and the first human cancer virus to gene-expression subtypes, PET-adapted chemotherapy, CAR-T cells, bispecific antibodies and the genetics-directed trials now recruiting","route":"/roadmaps/lymphoma-roadmap/"}],"idea":[{"id":"lymphoma-ev-radiotherapy-free-early-hodgkin","kind":"idea","name":"A radiotherapy-free cure for early Hodgkin lymphoma that actually holds","route":"/ideas/lymphoma-ev-radiotherapy-free-early-hodgkin/"},{"id":"idea-gbc-randomised-adjuvant-chemoradiation-r1-node-positive","kind":"idea","name":"A randomised trial of adjuvant chemoradiation after margin-positive or node-positive gallbladder cancer resection","route":"/ideas/idea-gbc-randomised-adjuvant-chemoradiation-r1-node-positive/"},{"id":"idea-lung-brain-metastasis-prevention-as-a-primary-endpoint","kind":"idea","name":"Measure brain metastasis prevention as a primary endpoint, not as a secondary one","route":"/ideas/idea-lung-brain-metastasis-prevention-as-a-primary-endpoint/"},{"id":"lymphoma-ev-late-effects-of-the-treatments-given-now","kind":"idea","name":"Measure the late effects of the treatments being given now, not the ones given in 1975","route":"/ideas/lymphoma-ev-late-effects-of-the-treatments-given-now/"},{"id":"idea-crc-organ-preservation-randomised-in-pmmr-rectal","kind":"idea","name":"Randomise organ preservation against surgery in mismatch repair-proficient rectal cancer, with bowel function as a co-primary endpoint","route":"/ideas/idea-crc-organ-preservation-randomised-in-pmmr-rectal/"}],"trial":[{"id":"nct07471165","kind":"trial","name":"A Prospective, Single-Arm, Phase II Study: PD-L1 Monoclonal Antibody + Chemoradiotherapy as Bridge Therapy to Liver Transplantation for Locally Advanced Perihilar Cholangiocarcinoma (ACHIEVE-LT)","route":"/trials/nct07471165/"},{"id":"abc-07","kind":"trial","name":"ABC-07","route":"/trials/abc-07/"},{"id":"nct06502080","kind":"trial","name":"Consolidative Radiotherapy (CSRT) in Patients With Oligometastatic/Locally Advanced Unresectable Bilary Tract Cancer (BTC)","route":"/trials/nct06502080/"},{"id":"nct07636824","kind":"trial","name":"Efficacy and Safety of Postoperative Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy for Extrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma and Gallbladder Carcinoma: A Multicenter Prospective Phase II Study","route":"/trials/nct07636824/"},{"id":"nct07638501","kind":"trial","name":"Efficacy and Safety of SBRT Plus Gemcitabine, Cisplatin, and Sintilimab as First-Line Treatment for Unresectable Biliary Tract Cancer","route":"/trials/nct07638501/"},{"id":"eortc-h10","kind":"trial","name":"EORTC/LYSA/FIL H10","route":"/trials/eortc-h10/"},{"id":"fortplus","kind":"trial","name":"FORTplus","route":"/trials/fortplus/"},{"id":"hd10","kind":"trial","name":"GHSG HD10","route":"/trials/hd10/"},{"id":"hd16","kind":"trial","name":"GHSG HD16","route":"/trials/hd16/"},{"id":"radar-hodgkin","kind":"trial","name":"RADAR","route":"/trials/radar-hodgkin/"},{"id":"rugb","kind":"trial","name":"RUGB","route":"/trials/rugb/"},{"id":"swog-s0809","kind":"trial","name":"SWOG S0809","route":"/trials/swog-s0809/"},{"id":"trog-99-03","kind":"trial","name":"TROG 99.03","route":"/trials/trog-99-03/"}],"journal":[{"id":"american-journal-of-clinical-oncology","kind":"journal","name":"American journal of clinical oncology","route":"/journals/american-journal-of-clinical-oncology/"},{"id":"cancer-research-and-treatment","kind":"journal","name":"Cancer research and treatment","route":"/journals/cancer-research-and-treatment/"},{"id":"cancer-treatment-reviews","kind":"journal","name":"Cancer treatment reviews","route":"/journals/cancer-treatment-reviews/"},{"id":"journal-of-cancer-research-and-therapeutics","kind":"journal","name":"Journal of cancer research and therapeutics","route":"/journals/journal-of-cancer-research-and-therapeutics/"},{"id":"journal-of-radiation-research","kind":"journal","name":"Journal of radiation research","route":"/journals/journal-of-radiation-research/"},{"id":"magyar-onkologia","kind":"journal","name":"Magyar onkologia","route":"/journals/magyar-onkologia/"},{"id":"oncology-research-and-treatment","kind":"journal","name":"Oncology research and treatment","route":"/journals/oncology-research-and-treatment/"},{"id":"lancet-global-health","kind":"journal","name":"The Lancet Global Health","route":"/journals/lancet-global-health/"}],"institution":[{"id":"bristol-haematology-oncology-centre","kind":"institution","name":"Bristol Haematology and Oncology Centre","route":"/institutions/bristol-haematology-oncology-centre/"},{"id":"mount-vernon-cancer-centre","kind":"institution","name":"Mount Vernon Cancer Centre","route":"/institutions/mount-vernon-cancer-centre/"},{"id":"nicrh-dhaka","kind":"institution","name":"National Institute of Cancer Research and Hospital","route":"/institutions/nicrh-dhaka/"},{"id":"northern-ireland-cancer-centre","kind":"institution","name":"Northern Ireland Cancer Centre, Belfast City Hospital","route":"/institutions/northern-ireland-cancer-centre/"},{"id":"queens-centre-hull","kind":"institution","name":"Queen's Centre for Oncology and Haematology, Castle Hill Hospital","route":"/institutions/queens-centre-hull/"},{"id":"tikur-anbessa-hospital","kind":"institution","name":"Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa University","route":"/institutions/tikur-anbessa-hospital/"},{"id":"weston-park-sheffield","kind":"institution","name":"Weston Park Cancer Centre, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals","route":"/institutions/weston-park-sheffield/"}],"company":[{"id":"accuray","kind":"company","name":"Accuray","route":"/companies/accuray/"}]}}