Which cancer treatment causes damage to the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), preventing the cell's ability to grow and divide?

Radiation therapy is the correct choice because it directly targets and damages the DNA within cancer cells. By using high doses of radiation, this treatment disrupts the cell's ability to replicate and grow. The damage inflicted on the DNA triggers a series of biological responses that can lead to cell death, effectively hindering the progression of cancer.

Chemotherapy, while also aimed at destroying cancer cells, generally targets rapidly dividing cells through chemicals that can affect DNA synthesis, but it does not specifically utilize radiation to damage DNA directly. Surgery is a physical removal of tumors and does not involve any interaction with DNA. Immunotherapy works by enhancing the body's immune response against cancer cells, rather than directly damaging the DNA. Thus, radiation therapy stands out as the treatment that specifically inflicts damage to DNA, halting cell division and growth.