• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
Choose which site to search.
UAMS Health Logo UAMS Health
  • UAMS.edu
  • MyChart
  • Giving
  • Emergency Room
  • Types of Care
  • Locations
  • Doctors
  • Patients and Guests
  • Referring Physicians
  • Appointments
  • About Us
    • Awards and Recognition
  1. UAMS Health
  2. Treatments and Procedures
  3. Radiation Therapy

Treatment/Procedure: Radiation Therapy

Also called: radiotherapy

Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high doses of radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. At low doses, radiation is used in x-rays to see inside your body, as with x-rays of your teeth or broken bones.

How radiation therapy works against cancer

At high doses, radiation therapy kills cancer cells or slows their growth by damaging their DNA. Cancer cells whose DNA is damaged beyond repair stop dividing or die. When the damaged cells die, they are broken down and removed by the body.

Radiation therapy does not kill cancer cells right away. It takes days or weeks of treatment before DNA is damaged enough for cancer cells to die. Then, cancer cells keep dying for weeks or months after radiation therapy ends.

Types of radiation therapy

There are two main types of radiation therapy, external beam and internal.

The type of radiation therapy that you may have depends on many factors, including:

  • the type of cancer
  • the size of the tumor
  • the tumor’s location in the body
  • how close the tumor is to normal tissues that are sensitive to radiation
  • your general health and medical history
  • whether you will have other types of cancer treatment
  • other factors, such as your age and other medical conditions

Learn more about radiation therapy at the Radiation Oncology Center.

Contents

  • Resources
  • Clinical Trials
  • Conditions
  • Providers
  • Locations
  • Areas of Expertise
  • Make an Appointment

Resources Related to Radiation Therapy

Success Story: James Ballentine (Article)

James Ballentine found out he had metastatic squamous cell carcinoma. With the help of UAMS, he’s been cancer-free since 2017.

Read the Article

Nausea and Vomiting Related to Cancer Treatment (Article)

Nausea and vomiting related to cancer treatment (or to the cancer itself) can be a serious problem, but medication and other approaches can help.

Read the Article

Clinical Trials

Search our clinical trials for those related to Radiation Therapy.

Conditions Related to Radiation Therapy

UAMS Health providers care for a broad range of conditions, some of which may not be listed below.

  • Adrenal Cancer
  • Anal Cancer
  • Bladder Cancer
  • Bone Cancer
  • Brain and Spine Cancer
  • Breast Cancer
  • Cervical Cancer
  • Colon Cancer
  • Colorectal Cancer
  • Esophageal Cancer
  • Gallbladder Cancer
  • Head and Neck Cancer
  • Kidney Cancer
  • Leukemia
  • Liver Cancer
  • Lung Cancer
  • Lymphoma
  • Multiple Myeloma
  • Neurofibromatosis
  • Ovarian Cancer
  • Pancreatic Cancer
  • Penile Cancer
  • Prostate Cancer
  • Sarcoma
  • Skin Cancer
  • Small Intestine Cancer
  • Spine Tumors
  • Stomach Cancer
  • Testicular Cancer
  • Thyroid Cancer
  • Uterine/Endometrial Cancer
  • Vaginal Cancer

Providers Performing or Prescribing Radiation Therapy

Note that every provider listed below may not perform or prescribe Radiation Therapy for all conditions related to it. Review each provider for availability.

Filter the Providers


Leslie M. Harrell, D.O.

Leslie M. Harrell, D.O. Radiation Oncologist

View Profile
Sanjay Maraboyina, M.D.

Sanjay Maraboyina, M.D. Radiation Oncologist

View Profile
Mausam A. Patel, M.D.

Mausam A. Patel, M.D. Radiation Oncologist

View Profile
Santanu Samanta, M.D.

Santanu Samanta, M.D. Radiation Oncologist

View Profile
Katelin D. Shepherd, CNP

Katelin D. Shepherd, CNP Family Nurse Practitioner

View Profile
Adam  R. Wolfe, M.D.

Adam R. Wolfe, M.D. Radiation Oncologist

View Profile
Fen Xia, M.D., Ph.D.

Fen Xia, M.D., Ph.D. Radiation Oncologist

View Profile

Locations Providing Radiation Therapy

Note that Radiation Therapy may not be performed at every location listed below. The list may include locations where the treatment plan is developed during and after a patient visit.

Filter the Locations


Exterior of Radiation Oncology Center and Proton Center of Arkansas

Radiation Oncology Center

3900 W. Capitol Ave.
Little Rock, AR 72205

Appointment Phone Number
501-664-4568
New and Returning Patients
View Location Get Directions

Areas of Expertise for Radiation Therapy

Close up of lab assistant in uniform, with mask and rubber gloves holding test tube with blood sample while sitting on chair and typing on laptop.

Blood Cancer Care (Part of Cancer Care)

UAMS Health hematologists work in collaboration with teams of experts from every medical and surgical specialty for the care of patients with blood diseases.

View Area of Expertise
CT Scan Knee joint

Bone Cancer Care (Part of Orthopaedics)

Orthopedic specialists work together as a multidisciplinary team to evaluate and treat bone cancer.

View Area of Expertise
Doctor holding brain scans

Brain and Spine Cancer Care (Part of Cancer Care)

The Neurosurgical oncology team tackles brain and spinal tumors with a true team approach.

View Area of Expertise
Women in pink supporting Breast Cancer

Breast Cancer Care (Part of Cancer Care)

No one wants to hear they have breast cancer, but the good news is more women are living longer and healthier lives with breast cancer.

View Area of Expertise
Image of male doctor giving intravenous drip chemotherapy treatment to a female cancer patient.

Cancer Care

The UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute is Arkansas’ most comprehensive cancer treatment and research facility.

View Area of Expertise
GI Cancer

Gastrointestinal Cancer Care (Part of Cancer Care)

Cancers of the digestive system can be very serious, impacting both survival and quality of life.

View Area of Expertise
Genitourinary Cancers

Genitourinary Cancer Care (Part of Cancer Care)

The Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute takes a team approach to treating genitourinary cancers.

View Area of Expertise
Neurofibromatosis

Neurofibromatosis (Part of Cancer Care)

Neurofibromatosis is a genetic disorder of the nervous system. It mainly affects how nerve cells form and grow.

View Area of Expertise
Skin Cancer Care, doctor examining mole on back

Skin Cancer Care (Part of Cancer Care)

Doctors from different specialties work together to provide you with comprehensive care that considers all of your skin cancer health concerns.

View Area of Expertise
Sarcoma Ribbon for Awareness

Soft Tissue Cancer Care (Part of Cancer Care)

Soft tissue sarcoma is a broad term for cancers that start in soft tissues (muscle, tendons, fat, lymph and blood vessels, and nerves).

View Area of Expertise

Make an Appointment

Request an appointment by contacting a clinic directly or by calling the UAMS Health appointment line at (501) 686-8000.

UAMS Health LogoUAMS HealthUniversity of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Mailing Address: 4301 West Markham Street, Little Rock, AR 72205
Phone: (501) 686-7000
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Statement
  • Notice of Privacy Practices
  • Price Transparency

© 2025 University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences