What to Know About Radiation Therapy for Carcinoma of Unknown Primary Origin

You can’t see or feel radiation, but it kills cancer cells.

Radiation is often used to relieve the symptoms of carcinoma of unknown primary origin (CUP). Sometimes radiation may also be used to cure the cancer if it has not spread too far.

Doctors give radiation for CUP in two ways – externally or internally. The type of radiation therapy you receive depends on the location, size, and spread of the cancer.

External radiation is the most common radiation treatment for CUP. You get it from a machine outside your body. You will have treatments 4 to 5 days a week for several weeks, with rest on weekends.

Internal radiation is a less frequent treatment for CUP. For internal radiation, you will have an implant of radiation placed in or near the tumor.