RT Medical Abbreviation

Radiotherapy

The treatment of disease with ionizing radiation. Also called radiation therapy. In radiotherapy, high-energy rays are often used to damage cancer cells and stop them from growing and dividing. A specialist in the radiation treatment of cancer is called a radiation oncologist. Like surgery, radiation therapy is a local treatment; it affects cancer cells only in the treated area. Radiation can come from a machine. It can also come from an implant placed directly into or near the tumor.