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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffRadiation therapy — also called radiotherapy or X-ray therapy — involves treating cancer with beams of high-energy particles or waves (radiation), such as gamma rays or X-rays.
Radiation therapy damages cells by destroying the genetic material that controls how cells grow and divide. And while both healthy and cancerous cells are damaged by radiation therapy, the goal of radiation therapy is to destroy as few normal, healthy cells as possible.
Why it's done
