In veterinary radiation therapy, a machine directs a radiation beam toward the cancer and some normal tissues around it. The equipment is very similar to equipment used for standard X-rays, except that exposure times are many times longer. In such instances, you will be offered a referral to a veterinary institution with appropriate facilities. In situations where it is unlikely that any one method of cancer treatment will be effective, such as large or aggressive tumors, radiation therapy can be combined with surgery or chemotherapy. In some situations a combination of all three types of treatment may be recommended.
Radiation therapy is given in a series of treatments which encompass several weeks.
This schedule helps protect normal tissue by spreading out the total dose of radiation. The treatment area is designed to include all of the cancer and as little normal tissue as possible. The total dose used and the number of treatments depend on many factors. The most important consideration is the total amount of radiation that can be administered to a patient without compromising the ability of healthy tissue to heal. The treatment area will be marked with an ink-like fluid to enable the treatment to be directed to the same area every time.