Oncologist/Hematologist or whoever really, come here.?

Question

Okay, so I was wondering something. Why do Leukemia patients sometimes get radiation therapy when radiation is a factor in causing it altogether? It seems kind of ironic. So there has to be some kind of reasonable explanation. No I'm not a cancer patient or else I'd be asking a doctor in person. It's just something I was wondering. Is it like a double negative or something?

Answer 1

Good question.

The way radiation treats cancer can also potentially cause damage that can later lead to a second cancer. This is a very rare event. The use of radiation represents (as in all things in medicine) the use of something whose benefits outweigh the risks. The chances of radiation helping (and not causing cancer) are far greater than the chances of it causing cancer, therefore it is justifiable. The concern over secondary malignancies does cause the radiation doctors to be careful about the dose and field and technique. It is a concern, just usually dwarfed by the concern over the cancer (which is a real, current problem, as opposed to a potential later cancer problem.).

God bless, best wishes