Although the energy is high enough to kill cancer cells, this radiation does not penetrate deeply into the body. For this reason, it is often useful in treating skin tumors without exposing deeper organs to much radiation. Megavoltage radiation therapy can penetrate deeply into the body. It is useful for treating some cancers of internal organs while minimizing radiation damage to the skin. It is the most effective method available for detecting breast cancer at an early stage, when successful treatment is more likely.
Medical oncologists provide chemotherapy and other nonradiation and nonsurgical treatments.
Medical oncologists often serve as the coordinating physician for adults with cancer. These studies coordinate the efforts of researchers across the country in many medical centers, hospitals and other institutions. National cooperative trials are usually undertaken to rigorously test new methods of cancer prevention or treatment. The radionuclides are administered by mouth or into a vein. Nuclear medicine scans can often detect areas within the body affected by cancer and some other diseases.