Safely embracing the growing power of radiotherapy

Advances in radiotherapy technology are making cancer treatment more powerful, more precise and easier to deliver. While this means new benefits for patients, it also opens the door to new safety challenges. Since the early 20th century, radiation has played a growing and increasingly indispensable role in cancer treatment. Radiation therapy, or radiotherapy, involves targeting very precise doses of radiation at tumours to kill cancer cells. This can be done with external beams of radiation, such as X-rays, gamma rays or electrons, or by using radioactive sources placed inside or on a patient.