Eli5 How does radiation therapy actually work? Like how doesnt it break down more of the body and make the cancer worse or something like that? And does it target only cancer area or everything?

Question

Eli5 How does radiation therapy actually work? Like how doesnt it break down more of the body and make the cancer worse or something like that? And does it target only cancer area or everything?

In: 630

Answer 1

The short version: they are hoping the treatment kills the cancer before killing you. It is dangerous to you, but they give you them if the risk of the cancer doing harm is greater than the treatment.