Radiation therapy is a form of mesothelioma treatment that is usually given in conjunction with other treatments such as chemotherapy and surgery. Radiation works by using beams of intense energy like X-rays to kill cancer cells. There are 2 types of radiation therapies that have proven effective in mesothelioma cancer patients: external beam radiation and brachytherapy. External beam radiation works by bombarding cancer tumors with X-rays to kill cancer cells. Brachytherapy is a newer radiation treatment that involves the implantation of radioactive material directly into tumors to provide a stronger dose of radiation while doing very little damage to surrounding healthy tissue.
In some cases, radiation therapy is the main form of mesothelioma treatment. This is more common in patients whose overall health has declined to a state where they are too weak to endure chemotherapy or invasive surgery. In other cases, such as a follow-up to mesothelioma surgery, radiation therapy is used as a complementary treatment. Radiation is also used as a palliative therapy to relieve mesothelioma symptoms such as pain, difficulty swallowing, shortness of breath, and bleeding.As with chemotherapy, radiation therapy damages healthy, normal cells as well as cancerous cells.