Radiation therapy is the treatment of a disease using high energy waves called radiation. In fact it works much like an x-ray machine, but pumps out much higher doses of energy. Radiation therapy is unique in that it can be applied to a specific area of the body. This is unlike chemotherapy, which goes throughout the body.

Radiation therapy works on tumors, including mesothelioma, by damaging cancerous cells so that they cannot divide. Of course normal cells can be affected too, but they usually continue to grow and divide. To prevent exposure to radiation, non-cancerous areas are covered during therapy, and treatment is spread over time.

Radiation therapy is often done in conjunction with surgery and chemotherapy; in fact 50 to 60 percent of patients are treated with radiation some time during their disease. Radiation often helps in shrinking a tumor before surgery, and also helps getting rid of the remnants of cancer that might remain post surgery. Radiation also shrinks the tumor so that chemotherapy can be more effective. Doctors carefully tailor the combination of radiation, surgery, and chemotherapy to each patient's needs depending on the type of cancer, its location, and its size. It sometimes can prove effective shrinking tumor size to reduce symptoms common to mesothelioma patients such as shortness of breath, coughing, or chest pain.

Radiation therapy can be given externally or internally. In external treatment radiation is administered from a machine onto a specific part of the body. In internal treatment, brachytherapy, small radioactive pellets are inserted into the tumor. The pellets slowly release radiation and kill the tumor from the inside.

There are side effects to radiation therapy such as fatigue and skin changes, but these side effects usually go away once treatment ends. Side effects are minimal compared to the advantage gained of killing the cancer.

Treating cancer with radiation therapy can be costly. Most health insurance policies, including Part B of Medicare, cover charges for radiation therapy. Of course talk to your doctor about details. If you need financial aid, contact the hospital social service office or the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER. They may be able to direct you to sources of help.