Pancreatic Cancer External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT)
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External Beam Radiation Therapy for Pancreatic Cancer (EBRT)
External beam radiation therapy (EBRT) is one of the most commonly used forms of radiotherapy at CTCA. This technique may be used in conjunction with surgery, chemotherapy and/or a myriad of other treatments to help you fight pancreatic cancer.
External beam radiation therapy focuses a beam of radiation from outside the body onto the cancerous internal organ and/or tissue within the body. When treating pancreatic cancer, EBRT uses a high-energy X-ray machine called a linear accelerator to direct the radiation beams at the cancerous pancreatic tumor.
These radiotherapy treatments generally last a few minutes at a time and are usually administered five days a week, over the course of six to eight weeks.
Specific advantages of external beam radiation therapy include the following:
- EBRT is an outpatient procedure. This technique 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.
- EBRT poses no risk of radioactivity to you or others with whom you have contact. Thus, as you undergo EBRT, you may continue normal activities with family and friends.
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