And what are its side effects?
With the development of medicine, the treatments for malignant and benign tumors have varied. In this article, we will discuss one of the internationally approved treatments, which is radiotherapy. What is radiotherapy? How it works? What are the conditions for his ion?
What is radiotherapy?
In fact, about half of the people who suffer from cancer are treated with radiation today, some of them only treat it, while doctors go for others by combining it with other treatments such as chemotherapy, and there are several types of radiotherapy:
Brachytherapy: It involves implanting radioactive seeds in the same tumor site, which in turn destroys the cancerous cells.
External radiotherapy (modified and 3D): They are two methods that depend on an individual design for each patient, during which the method of radiation beam intervention is determined by making a special mold that suits the patient.
It is worth noting that a more common type of radiation therapy is external beam radiation, as it is used for almost all types of cancer.
When is radiotherapy chosen?
As we mentioned previously, radiation therapy is often accompanied by other cancer treatments, such as surgical and chemotherapy, and the main goal of radiotherapy is to reduce the size of tumors and kill cancer cells, and radiation may target healthy cells as well, but it is not necessary to suffer damage. Cancer cells, as healthy cells have the ability to revive themselves.
Radiation therapy may be chosen in each of the following cases
Relief of certain symptoms of advanced stages of cancer.
Basic treatment to eliminate tumors.
Use it in conjunction with other treatments (fighting the tumor from the inside and from the outside).
Shrink the tumor before surgery.
Elimination of cancer cells remaining after the option of surgery.
How do you prepare for radiotherapy?
After the doctor decides that this treatment is the most appropriate method for this stage of your overall treatment journey, the specialist doctor will determine the treatment plan, the appropriate dose or radiation beam and its frequency, and then you will undergo a radiological simulation session, through which the treatment conditions will be simulated and a plan and a fixed template will be prepared. It determines the radiation beams'' routing sites.
During the simulation session, you''ll undergo CT scans or x-rays to determine the full extent of the tumor and to locate the radiation focus.
How is radiotherapy done?
In general, one round of radiotherapy lasts 5 days a week for 10 weeks, while one session takes about 10-30 minutes, while the number of treatment rounds varies according to the doctor''s plan for the size and location of the tumor.
During the session, you lie on the radiotherapy table, and the medical team will install you in a position that exactly matches what was adopted during the simulation, using the template that the doctors previously prepared for you in it. The beam machine moves around you and around the table and may sizzle, in any case don''t worry.
Follow-up treatment after radiotherapy
After undergoing a few treatment sessions, the doctor can compare the effect of the doses on the tumor and on your general health, so you will go through a set of CT scans, as well as radiological examinations, and then the doctor will tell you about your situation. If you suffer from side effects of treatment, tell your doctor about them and do not suffer from them alone He may have some means to mitigate them.
Side effects and risks associated with radiotherapy
Regardless of the type of radiotherapy that a person uses, the side effects are often the same, in terms of the skin, the following changes may occur on it:
skin dryness.
redness and burning
peeling of the skin
Wound hardening.
The rest of the side effects depend on the area of the body being treated, but they may include:
Diarrhea.
earache
mouth ulcers
Dry mouth.
Nausea and vomiting.
impotence
Sore throat.
swelling.
trouble swallowing
Difficulty urinating.
These side effects disappear within two months since the last radiology session, but some effects may persist or even appear after six months since the end of treatment, and late effects may include:
Oral problems.
Lymphedema or swelling of the tissues.
infertility
A new secondary cancer.
