In general the response to cancer treatment, including radiation therapy, is called remission. A partial remission means that some of the signs and symptoms of cancer have been reduced and a complete remission means that the cancer is undetectable...

by various clinical methods. Complete remission does not always mean 100 percent of the cancer cells have been eliminated from the body, but often does. When cancer is again detectable after a period of partial or complete remission, it is called a relapse.

 

It is best to discuss the realistic outcomes that can be expected from radiation therapy and other cancer treatments. Optimism is an important part of cancer survival and it is good to maintain it, but it is also useful to know what other people with the same type of cancer and extent of disease have experienced. Your oncologist should be able to provide you with high quality information regarding your expected outcome.

 

Radiation therapy often causes tumors to shrink, a process called debulking. This is particularly important for tumors that are not round and smooth. Cancerous tumors often send out processes (branches, so to speak) that wrap around important structures. By using radiation therapy prior to surgery, the processes can be “pruned” increasing the chance for complete removal during surgery. In certain cases, especially in tumors known to be radiosensitive (die particularly quickly and profoundly when subjected to radiation), radiation therapy may virtually eliminate the tumor.