External Beam Radiation for Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic Cancer Treatment: External Beam Radiation Therapy

External beam radiation therapy is one of the most commonly used forms of radiotherapy at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA). This technique focuses a beam of radiation from outside your body onto the cancerous internal organ and/or tissue within your body. External beam radiation may be used in conjunction with surgery, chemotherapy and/or a myriad of other weapons in the CTCA arsenal to help you fight pancreatic cancer.

To deliver external beam radiation therapy, a high-energy X-ray machine called a linear accelerator directs the radiation at the cancerous pancreatic tumor. Each session to deliver the radiation treatment takes minutes. Typically, the treatment is administered five days a week, over the course of six to eight weeks.

Radiation treatment planning and delivery has changed dramatically with the significant advancements in computer hardware and software. Recent advances allow CTCA radiation therapy experts to more accurately target the tumor with higher doses of radiation, while minimizing damage to healthy pancreatic tissue.

External beam radiation therapy poses no risk of radioactivity to you or family and friends with whom you have contact. It allows you to continue normal activities.

Advantages of external beam radiation therapy include the following:

• Radiation therapy, an outpatient procedure, does not carry the standard risks or complications associated with major surgery for pancreatic cancer, which can include surgical bleeding, post-operative pain, or the risk of stroke, heart attack or blood clot.
• The procedure itself is painless.

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