Penn study shows how to protect bone-forming cells, with implications for reducing osteoporosis caused by cancer therapy.
Radiotherapy destroys cancer cells using high-energy ionizing radiation to damage DNA and induce cell death. About two million patients per year in the United States - more than 50 percent of all cancer patients - receive radiotherapy at some stage during their illness, either alone or in combination with chemotherapy, surgery, and targeted medicines.
Radiotherapy targets tumor cells but also causes damage to nearby healthy tissues.
