This chapter will provide an in-depth review of radiation therapy and its implications on anesthetic management. It will begin with a brief overview of cancer and the history of radiation therapy’s progression into an essential tool in cancer treatment. Next, the mechanism behind radiation therapy’s effectiveness in targeting cancer cells will be explored. Lastly, a systems-based approach to radiation therapy and its impact on anesthetic planning will be discussed.
Keywords: Direct DNA damage, Indirect DNA damage, Ionization, Linear accelerators, Linear energy transfer, Mitotic catastrophe, Radiation therapy, Radiotherapy, Radiation oncology, Radiobiology.
