Radiation therapy may be used in different ways to help treat gynecologic cancers. After surgery for a cervical cancer diagnosis, radiation therapy may be used for patients who have intermediate- or high-risk features, such as positive lymph nodes detected after surgery. Radiation may also be used for patients who are not surgical candidates. When used in concert with chemotherapy, radiation becomes more effective in treating cervical cancer. Radiation also may be used to manage localized vaginal and vulvar cancers. A low dose, sensitizing chemotherapy may be given to enhance the effects of radiation. Treatments are scheduled Monday through Friday over the course of several weeks. In some cases, we can delivery higher doses of radiation in fewer treatments.

Your treatment is custom-tailored and unique to your diagnosis, tumor size, location and involvement. Your radiation oncologist (a doctor who specializes in treating cancer with radiation) will review all available treatment options and recommend a personalized plan for you based on national guidelines, which guide all cancer treatments. Radiation therapy is used either alone or in combination with other treatments such as chemotherapy and surgery.

Radiation can be delivered either from outside the body with a machine called a linear accelerator (external beam radiation) or from a radiation source implanted permanently or temporarily in the body (brachytherapy).