• Common Oncology Radiation Questions Radiation Oncology department at Providence often plays a major role in the treatment of cancer. It can be used alone, or in combination with surgery or chemotherapy. The Radiation Oncology department at Providence offers state-of-the-art radiation therapy treatment for cancer management. Radiation is energy carried by waves or a stream of particles. It can come from special machines or from radioactive substances. When radiation is used at high doses, it can be used to treat cancer and other illnesses. Special equipment aims the radiation at tumors or areas of the body where there is disease. Other names for radiation therapy are radiotherapy, x-ray therapy, cobalt therapy, electron beam therapy, or irradiation. High doses of radiation can kill cells or keep them from dividing. Radiation therapy can be used to treat cancer because cancer cells divide more rapidly than many of the normal cells around them. Although some normal cells are damaged by radiation, most normal cells appear to recover more fully from the effects of radiation than do cancer cells. • Radiation Therapy - from The American Cancer Society | 
