Oral Cancer Treatments – External Beam Radiation
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External Beam Radiation Therapy for Oral Cancer
External beam radiation therapy is one of the most commonly used forms of oral cancer radiotherapy at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA). With this technique, radiation therapists direct a "beam" of radiation from outside your body onto the tumor in your mouth or throat.
External beam radiation therapy is administered by a high-energy X-ray machine known as a linear accelerator. Lasting a few minutes at a time, the treatment procedure is typically scheduled for five days a week, over the course of six to eight weeks.
Undergoing external beam radiation therapy poses no risk of radioactivity to you or others with whom you have contact. You may continue your normal activities throughout your treatment.
One of the advantages of receiving external beam radiation is that you can remain an outpatient throughout your oral cancer treatment. In addition, radiation does not carry the standard risks or complications that accompany major surgery, such as surgical bleeding, post-operative pain or the risk of stroke, heart attack or blood clot. Furthermore, the procedure itself is painless.
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