(This lecture is part of our Empowering Women In The Face Of Cancer: Navigating The Path Forward)

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the US claiming the lives of hundreds of thousands annually. Over the past several decades we have developed new tools to fight against this horrible disease and have made great progress in improving survival rates.  In addition to surgery and chemotherapy, radiation therapy is a pivotal treatment modality in the fight against cancer but has a scary history and reputation. Patients who are told they will need radiation often develop anxiety and fear of what is involved.

Target Audience:

I would like to present a general overview of the field of radiation therapy to medical professionals, who may or may not work in oncology, and the general public, who may be facing going through radiation therapy or know someone who may be receiving radiation treatments.

Learning Objectives:

Participants will learn what radiation is and how it works on tumor cells.

Participants will also understand how radiation is used to treat cancer and what overall side effects patients may experience.

Ideally, after the lecture attendees will have a greater understanding and less anxiety about the process of radiation.