Adjuvant therapy — additional cancer treatment following your initial treatment; given to reduce the risk that your cancer will return
Brachytherapy — a type of radiation therapy where radioactive material (seeds, needles, catheters, wires, etc.) is placed directly into the tumor site; also called internal-beam radiation therapy
External-beam radiation therapy — a form of cancer treatment using high-powered X-rays or particles directed at the body from an outside source
Fractionated — divided
Frameless — a form of stereotactic radiotherapy conducted without the use of a head frame
Image-Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) — the use of frequent imaging during your radiation therapy treatment to ensure absolute accuracy of treatment
Imaging — a process of producing pictures of the inside of your body
Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) — an advanced form of radiation therapy using a computer-controlled linear accelerator; delivers precise, conformal 3-D radiation doses of various intensity to the tumor from multiple angles
Internal-beam radiation therapy — a type of radiation therapy where radioactive material (seeds, needles, catheters, wires, etc.) is placed directly into the tumor site; also called brachytherapy
Interstitial radiation therapy — a type of radiation therapy where radioactive material contained in seeds, wires or catheters is placed directly into your tumor site
Intracavitary radiation — a type of radiation therapy where radioactive material contained in seeds, wires or catheters is placed directly into a body cavity (e.g., vagina, chest)
Intraoperative radiation therapy — a type of radiation therapy directed at a tumor during surgery
Medical dosimetrist — a health professional who assists in determining the proper radiation dose for treatment
Medical radiation physicist — a health professional who ensures the radiation system delivers the correct dosage to the correct site; the physicist assists the radiation oncologist in determining the most effective treatment schedule and dose
Palliative care — treatment or care given to improve quality of life to those whose condition is serious or grave. The goal of palliative care is to ease the symptoms or side effects of a disease
Radiation oncologist — a physician who specializes in using radiation therapy to treat cancer
Radiation therapist — a health professional who assists in giving radiation treatment
Respiratory gating — a system that monitors your tumor as you breathe during radiation therapy to allow for greater accuracy during your breathing cycle
Simulation therapist — a health professional who assists in planning radiation therapy so that your tumor is precisely located
Stereotactic radiosurgery — a form of radiation therapy that focuses high-powered X-rays on a small area of the body in a single dose
Stereotactic radiotherapy — a form of radiation therapy that focuses high-powered X-rays on a small area of the body in divided (fractionated) doses
Three-Dimensional Conformal Radiation Therapy (3DCRT) — a form of radiation therapy using a 3-D picture of your tumor and a high dose of radiation