External beam radiation therapy: How it works, what it treats and side effects
Radiation therapy is a common type of cancer treatment that uses high-energy beams to target and destroy cancer cells.
External beam radiation treatment (EBRT) is the main type of radiation therapy. It can be used alone to treat cancer or along with other therapies, such as surgery or chemotherapy.
Here, I’ll explain more about external beam radiation and answer common questions about this type of cancer treatment.
How...
Total neoadjuvant therapy: A new era for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer
When rectal cancer advances to involve nearby lymph nodes but hasn’t spread to other areas of the body, it’s considered to be locally advanced...
Radiation therapist has a gift for putting patients at ease
Not everyone enters health care because of a lifelong dream — sometimes, it’s a gentle nudge that sets them on this path. And for...
When a breast cancer oncologist becomes a breast cancer patient
Jennifer Litton, M.D., knows more than most about breast cancer. As a breast medical oncologist and UT MD Anderson’s chief clinical research officer, she oversees the world’s largest cancer clinical trials program, which includes many trials that determine the latest and best treatments for breast cancer patients. She herself has led multiple clinical trials that have changed the way oncologists treat breast cancer today.
And in...
Do all patients receiving radiation to the head or neck need a feeding tube?
Historically, most head and neck cancer patients who needed radiation therapy have had a feeding tube installed as a matter of course. ...
Top 4 MD Anderson abstracts at ASTRO 2025
At this year’s American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting, MD Anderson experts will showcase their pacesetting research...
IV vitamin therapy: Is it safe to use during chemo?
Sometimes, patients ask me about IV vitamin therapy after reading testimonials online from people who claim it has helped them feel better...
15-year stage IV melanoma survivor: ‘This is the best I’ve felt in years’
Sometimes, when people receive a cancer diagnosis, they start going from one doctor to the next, hoping to hear better news.
Teen’s ‘powered by people’ presentation highlights mother’s experience at MD Anderson
Ivan Espinoza has aspired to be a physical therapist since middle school, when he created his own bodybuilding program to better manage his...
Interstitial cystitis symptoms and bladder cancer: Is there a connection?
Interstitial cystitis is a chronic inflammatory condition in which the lining of the bladder becomes irritated for no obvious reason and stays...