All questions · What each treatment is doing

How does radiation know where my cancer is?

It does not find anything by itself. Your radiation doctor draws the outline of the cancer, and of the organs near it, on your scans beforehand.

A plan is built to that outline, and your position is checked before every single treatment.

Written by two physicians. Checked against patient information from the US National Cancer Institute and Cancer Research UK.

See it with the other cards Read as a book

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Content last updated 25 September 2026 · How we write these cards · Report a problem with this card

These cards are for learning. They are not medical advice and do not replace talking with your own doctor.