ENGLISH
REFERENCE

radiotherapy

n. uncountable
C1 Advanced UK //ɹˌeɪdɪəʊθˈɛɹəpi// ra·dio·ther·a·py

n. a medical treatment that uses high-energy rays to kill cancer cells or shrink tumors. Doctors often use it alongside surgery or other medicines to help patients get better.

n. the treatment of disease, especially cancer, using ionizing radiation to destroy malignant cells. Often administered in fractionated doses to allow healthy tissue to recover between sessions.


SIMPLE

The patient started radiotherapy to shrink the tumor before surgery.

CONTEXTUAL

After the surgeon removed the primary mass, the patient underwent six weeks of radiotherapy to ensure no cancer cells remained.

COMPLEX

Advances in medical imaging allow clinicians to target radiotherapy with extreme precision, minimizing damage to the healthy organs surrounding the site of the malignancy.

Synonyms
Origin

From radio- + therapy.

Usage

Uncountable when referring to the medical field or the general treatment method.

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