Radiation Oncology: Using Energy to Fight Cancer

 By: Dhyan Patel

Radiation Oncology

Note: This article is part of a student-run educational series on medical specialties, based on research and/or shadowing (in person or virtual), in order to educate other students who are interested in healthcare careers and may lack the ability to shadow specialists in their areas.

Background

When people think of cancer treatment, they often think of chemotherapy or surgery. However, there is another powerful method that is used to fight against cancer, one that uses beams of energy to destroy tumors. The doctors who use these beams are called radiation oncologists who specialize in the field of Radiation Oncology.


Radiation Oncology is a blend of medicine, physics, and technology. It focuses on using targeted doses of radiation to kill cancer cells while sparing as much healthy tissue as possible. 

So, what do they do?

Radiation oncologists are physicians who diagnose and treat cancer using radiation therapy. Nearly half of all cancer patients receive radiation therapy at some point during their treatment, which makes these doctors a vital part of the oncology team.


Some of their responsibilities include:

  • Developing individualized treatment plans using advanced imaging and computer modeling

  • Collaborating with surgeons and medical oncologists to design comprehensive cancer care

  • Overseeing the delivery of radiation treatments and monitoring the progress of patients

  • Managing side effects and ensuring their comfort during therapy

  • Counseling patients and families about their treatment goals and expectations


Radiation therapy can be used on its own or in combination with surgery and chemotherapy. In certain scenarios, it can eliminate the need for surgery as a whole. Radiation oncologists determine how much radiation to use, where to target it, and how to minimize the exposure of radiation to surrounding organs.

Additional Information

Radiation therapy works by damaging the DNA of cancer cells, which prevents them from growing and dividing. Healthy cells can usually repair themselves, but cancer cells cannot. This leads to tumor shrinkage or even their destruction.


There are several types of radiation therapy that include:

  • External beam radiation - high energy x-rays or protons delivered from the outside of the body

  • Brachytherapy - tiny radioactive sources placed directly inside or near a tumor

  • Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) - treating small tumors in the brain or body with accuracy.

Required education and training

In order to become a radiation oncologist, you must first earn your bachelor's degree and complete medical school. After that, specialists must enter a four-to-five-year residency program in radiation oncology. During this residency, they study cancer biology, radiation physics, and treatment planning. 


After their residency, many may choose to pursue fellowships of research in areas such as proton therapy, brachytherapy, or radiation immunology in order to explore how radiation can work with the body’s immune system to fight against cancer more effectively.

Importance

Radiation oncology plays an important role in modern cancer treatment as it offers a way to control or eliminate tumors, relieve pain, and improve the quality of life of patients through a noninvasive way. For many patients, these doctors represent symbols of hope, especially when chemotherapy by itself isn’t enough or surgery isn’t possible.

References

Canadian Cancer Society. (2015). External radiation therapy. Canadian Cancer Society. https://cancer.ca/en/treatments/treatment-types/radiation-therapy/external-radiation-therapy

City of Hope. (2023, December 22). Radiation Oncologist: What Do They Do and Questions to Ask. City of Hope. https://www.cancercenter.com/physician-directory/types-oncologists/radiation-oncologists

Dartmouth Cancer Center. (2025). Radiation Oncology Frequently Asked Questions. Dartmouth Cancer Center. https://cancer.dartmouth.edu/radiation-oncology/faq#:~:text=importance%20to%20us.-,What%20is%20a%20radiation%20oncologist?,the%20status%20of%20your%20treatment.

Emory Winship Cancer Institute. (2022). Radiation Therapy | Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University. Emory.edu. https://winshipcancer.emory.edu/treatments/radiation-therapy.php

Fox Chase Cancer Center Temple Health. (2015, November 3). Radiation Oncology Residency and Fellowship Training Program | Fox Chase Cancer Center - Philadelphia PA. Fox Chase Cancer Center - Philadelphia PA. https://www.foxchase.org/research-education/education/residencies/radiation-oncology

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. (2025). Radiation Oncology Residency Program | Icahn School of Medicine. Icahn School of Medicine. https://icahn.mssm.edu/education/residencies-fellowships/list/rad-onc-residency

Medschoolcoach. (2021, January 15). Radiation Oncology with Dr. Q Ho - Virtual Pre-Med Education by MedSchoolCoach. Virtual Pre-Med Education by MedSchoolCoach. https://shadowing.medschoolcoach.com/lessons/radiation-oncology-with-dr-q-ho/

Popular posts from this blog

Anesthesiology: The Heroes Who Keep Patients Alive

Image
By: Dhyan Patel Anesthesiology Note : This article is part of a student-run educational series on medical specialties, based on research and/or shadowing (in person or virtual), in order to educate other students who are interested in healthcare careers and may lack the ability to shadow specialists in their areas. Background When most people think about surgery, they usually think about surgeons standing over their bodies and performing various procedures in order to save someone. Now although that is true, there’s a hidden figure behind every successful surgery that most people tend to overlook: the anesthesiologist. Anesthesiologists are responsible for managing pain levels, monitoring patients' vital signs, and making sure that their patients not only remain safe, but also stable throughout their surgery. Without these professionals, mortality rates would increase and the surgical process that we have today wouldn’t exist at all. So, what do they do? Anesthesiologists are docto...
Read more

Neurosurgery: The Surgeons of The Most Complex Systems In The Body

Image
  By: Dhyan Patel Neurosurgery Note : This article is part of a student-run educational series on medical specialties, based on research and/or shadowing (in person or virtual), in order to educate other students who are interested in healthcare careers and may lack the ability to shadow specialists in their areas. Background One of the most demanding and precision requiring medical specialties is neurosurgery. Neurosurgeons are doctors who operate on the brain, spinal cord, and the nervous system. They perform some of the most complex and precise procedures in all of the medical field. Whether they are removing brain tumors, repairing spinal injuries, or stopping seizures, neurosurgeons are one of the most important types of doctors. As neurosurgery isn’t just simply cutting and stitching within the body, it is about navigating and working with the body's most important and delicate system: the nervous system. The system controls an individual's every thought, movement, and he...
Read more

Urology: Treating The Overlooked System of the Body

Image
  By: Dhyan Patel Urology Note : This article is part of a student-run educational series on medical specialties, based on research and/or shadowing (in person or virtual), in order to educate other students who are interested in healthcare careers and may lack the ability to shadow specialists in their areas. Background Every time we drink a glass of water or some other liquid, our bodies rely on a complex system of organs in order to filter out waste, produce urine, and maintain our internal balance. However, when this system fails, it requires a special type of doctor in order to restore it. That doctor is a urologist. Urology is the branch of medicine that focuses on the urinary tract in both men and women, and the male reproductive system. It is a specialty that combines surgery and internal medicine. This allows urologists to treat a wide range of conditions from kidney stones and bladder infections to prostate cancer. So, what do they do? Urologists are physicians who are tr...
Read more