Cervical cancer refers to a tumor in the lower part of the uterus. This cancer is caused by a virus called human papillomavirus or HPV. Although cervical cancer may not be a common category of cancer, it can be painful and disturbing. Some usual symptoms of this cancer may include vaginal bleeding or anomalous vaginal discharge, painful sex, and lower stomach pain. Specialists may advocate radiation therapy as a cervical cancer treatment in many cases. It may be helpful to know that this cancer may be cured quite easily when diagnosed at an early stage.

1. What is radiation therapy?
Doctors evaluate patients on diverse parameters to strategize treatment for cervical cancer. Among the various types of treatments, radiation therapy can be a popular choice. Radiation therapy induces high energy X-rays to those parts affected by cancer. These rays can kill the cancerous cells efficiently. Radiation therapy aims to destroy cancer cells with minimal damage to healthy cells in the body.

2. Types of radiation therapy
The rays involved in radiation therapy are high impact radioactive particles. They attack the tumor from an external position. There are two types of radiation in radiation therapy:

• External Beam Radiation
• Brachytherapy

External beam radiation therapy (EBRT) is a painless form of radiation therapy. It is similar to the X-ray that is taken for fractures, although the wave strength is much stronger in this case. The patient is given this treatment for five days a week, and it is continued for about six to seven weeks normally. In certain patients, EBRT is combined with chemo drugs. Or it may sometimes be followed as the only treatment for cervical cancer. Whether it is a combination of chemo and radiation (concurrent chemo radiation) or just radiation therapy, primary treatment may be decided by specialists, factoring the patients’ general health standards. Radiation may also be administered in conditions where patients exhibit intolerance to chemo drugs.

In brachytherapy, the radiation source is placed at the direct spot of cancer incidence. When treating cervical cancer, the radiation device is positioned within the vagina or sometimes in the cervix. Therefore, this type of radiation has a short range of reach. Intracavitary brachytherapy is the most widely used treatment in radiation therapy. The brachytherapy is further divided into two processes based on intensity.

Low-dose rate (LDR) brachytherapy: The patient is admitted in the hospital for a few days. And the radioactive materials are held in devices in a room, thus exposing the patient to its rays in low doses.

High-dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy: The patient may not be required to remain in the hospital during this type of treatment. A high dose of radiation is given intermittently to other treatment plans. In this method, high dose radioactive particles are inserted and removed within a few minutes.

3. Managing your radiation
Treating cervical cancer with radiation therapy may be associated with some side effects. Patients have reported menstrual changes, radiation cystitis or irritant bladder, anemia, fatigue, stomach discomfort in addition to other related conditions. Fortunately, cancer management specialists may support the patients’ journey during treatment and provide the necessary adaptations to the outcomes of radiation therapy.