Radiation Therapy for Head and Neck Cancers

Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high-energy X-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells or stop them from growing. It may also be given after surgery to kill cancer cells that were not removed. 

The way the radiation therapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated. External radiation therapy uses a machine outside the body to send radiation toward the cancer, while internal radiation therapy uses a radioactive substance sealed in needles, seeds, wires or catheters that are placed directly into or near the cancer.

Fox Chase offers advanced radiation therapy technology, including intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), image guided radiotherapy (IGRT), and stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). Our patients also have access to similar technology at Fox Chase’s outpatient radiation therapy center in Buckingham, PA.