Medical treatment using high-energy radiation to destroy cancer cells and shrink tumors.
Compound from Latin 'radius' (ray) and Greek 'therapeia' (healing). Coined in the early 20th century following the discovery of radioactivity and its medical applications by pioneers like Marie Curie.
Radiotherapy represents one of medicine's most profound paradoxes - using potentially harmful radiation to heal. The precision required is extraordinary: modern techniques can target tumors while sparing healthy tissue just millimeters away, like a microscopic sniper rifle.
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