oss, mouth sores, an increased risk of infections, and fatigue. Anyone who has problems with side effects should talk with their doctor or nurse as there are often ways to help. Radiation therapy is treatment with high energy rays (such as x-rays) to kill or shrink cancer cells. The radiation may come from outside the body (external radiation) or from radioactive materials placed directly in the tumor (internal or implant radiation). External radiation is the type most often used to treat lung cancer. Radiation is sometimes used as the main treatment of lung cancer, for example, for those people who may not be healthy enough to have surgery. For other patients, radiation might be used after surgery to kill small areas of cancer that can't be seen and removed during surgery. Radiation can also be used to relieve symptoms such as pain, bleeding, and trouble swallowing. Side effects of radiation therapy could include mild skin problems, nausea, vomiting, and tiredness. Often these go away after a short while. Chest radiation may cause lung damage and difficulty breathing. Side effects of radiation therapy to the brain (to treat metastasis) usually become most serious one or two years after treatment, and include headaches and trouble with thinking. Be sure to talk with your doctor if you have any side effects. Studies of new treatments in patients are known as clinical trials. A clinical trial is only done when there is some reason to believe that the treatment being studied may be of value to the patient. The main questions the researchers want to answer are: Does this treatment work? Does it work better than the one we're now using? What side effects does it cause? Do the benefits outweigh the risks? Which patients are most likely to find this treatment helpful? During your course of treatment, your doctor may suggest that you look into a clinical trial. This does not mean that you are being asked to be a human guinea pig. Nor does it me...
