What is the difference between the types of radiation that cause cancer and the types of radiation used to treat cancer?
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Radiation therapy uses x-rays, which are ionizing radiation thus increase risk of developing cancer. However, the risk is relatively low:
1. Radiation therapy is relatively brief, so overall there is little radiation outside the focused area, thus risk is not too high.
2. In the focused area, radiation is brief but intense. It is intense enough to kill cells, including healthy cells caught in the treatment area. Killing the healthy cells is actually good since it leaves them too dead to develop cancer.
So, overall, we are talking about a low risk of cancer in the future, which is well worth not dying now to the cancer at hand.
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