The Development of Modern Radiation Therapy

Purpose of Review Radiation therapy is a treatment modality used in the management of patients with cancer that utilizes ionizing radiation to kill cells. Herein, we provide a brief review of basic radiobiology principles to describe the mechanisms of radiation effects and injuries. Recent Findings With technologic advances, radiation therapy has evolved significantly over the past several decades. Such advances have changed the way in which radiation reaches target tissue while sparing normal tissue, and subsequently the doses of radiation that can be administered. Summary From a rehabilitation standpoint, it is critical to understand the type of radiation therapy used, the dose prescribed, and the volume to which the radiation therapy was administered when treating a patient with a radiation-related injury. We describe the fundamentals of radiation therapy planning and administration as well as commonly utilized modern radiation therapy techniques.