More Key Words Flashcards
Aperture
A metal block containing a hole through which the radiation beam passes.
Benign Tumor
A tumor that grows locally but does not spread to other parts of the body
Biological Therapy
Treatment by stimulating the body’s immune defense system
Bolus
A custom-made block positioned beyond the aperture. Contours and thickness of the block conform the beam to the shape of the far edge of the target.
Brachytherapy
Radiation therapyfrom radioactive sources inside the body
Bragg Peak
The point at which protons (and other heavily charged particles) deposit most of their energy.
Conformal Radiation Therapy
Radiation that is shaped or “conformed” to the shape of a tumor in all three dimensions.
Malignant
Capable of invading. Cancers spread by invading normal tissue and spreading to distant tissues (metastasis).
Metastasis
The spreading of a cancer from one part of the body to another.
Photon
A quantum of electromagnetic radiation; the elentary particle of photon radiation therapy. X rays and Gamma Rays are photon radiation.
Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA)
A protein that serves as a marker for prostate cancer or benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Rad
“Radiation absorbed Dose” or a measure of the amount of radiation absorbed by tissues.
Simulation
The use of special x-ray pictures to plan radiation treatment
