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Radiation Therapy in the Definitive Treatment of Cancer

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Cancer Metastasis Through the Lymphovascular System

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Abstract

Radiation therapy is an important component of cancer treatment for a variety of malignancies both in the definitive and palliative setting. Radiation can be administered by external means using linear accelerators or internally by brachytherapy; core to the therapeutic effects of radiation is the induction of ionization events within biological molecules which in turn results in irreparable DNA damage and ultimately cell death. Historically, the treatment effectiveness of radiotherapy was limited in part by toxicity to normal tissues; however, recent advances in treatment planning and imaging have allowed for highly conformal delivery of higher doses of radiation that subsequently have improved cancer-related outcomes. Radiation therapy is widely used as a definitive modality, concurrently with chemotherapy for unresectable cancers, in the adjuvant setting after surgery or for consolidation after chemotherapy. With the advent of increasingly specific small-molecule inhibitors and immunotherapy drugs, the oncologic landscape continues to evolve rapidly, creating new opportunities for utilization of radiation therapy to improve cancer-related outcomes.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Radiation Oncology, Tucson, USA

    Alexander N. Garcia

  2. University of Arizona, Tucson, USA

    Baldassarre Stea

Authors
  1. Alexander N. Garcia
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  2. Baldassarre Stea
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Correspondence to Alexander N. Garcia or Baldassarre Stea .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery and Melanoma Center, California Pacific Medical Center and Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Stanley P. Leong

  2. Henry Ford Cancer Institute, Detroit, MI, USA

    S. David Nathanson

  3. Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA

    Jonathan S. Zager

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Garcia, A.N., Stea, B. (2022). Radiation Therapy in the Definitive Treatment of Cancer. In: Leong, S.P., Nathanson, S.D., Zager, J.S. (eds) Cancer Metastasis Through the Lymphovascular System. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-93084-4_64

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