What to Know About Radiation Therapy for Vaginal Cancer

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

 Radiation is another way to treat vaginal cancer. It is a local treatment. That means it only targets cancer cells in one specific area. The goal of radiation is to kill cancer cells. It works by directing strong rays at the tumor.

You may have this therapy after surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells. Or you may have it without surgery. You may receive low-dose chemotherapy along with radiation therapy to enhance the radiation’s effectiveness. This is called radiosensitization or chemoradiation. You may have external beam radiation therapy, internal radiation therapy, or both. To get this treatment, you see a radiation oncologist.