Radiation Therapy - Standard Treatment for Cancer Patients

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Author: Sivr.net

Radiation therapy uses high powered x-rays or radioactive seeds to kill cancer cells.

Cancer cells grow rapidly and cause tumors in the body. Radiation therapy aims at destroying these cancer cells which prevents their growth and spread in the body.

The types of radiation therapy are:

* External Radiation - In this method, the cancer patient is given radiation from a machine that is present outside the body. This process does not require the hospitalization of the patient.

* Internal Radiation or Brach therapy - In this method, small radioactive capsules or tubes are placed inside the patient's body. These deliver the radiotherapy to those parts of the body that are affected by the cancer cells. This process requires hospitalization of the patient.

* Systemic Radiation - In this method, the radioactive substance is injected into the vein of the cancer patient. The substance then travels through the body of the patient delivering the radiotherapy. This process requires hospitalization of the patient.

* Intra-Operative Radiation - In this method radiotherapy is given to the cancer patients during a surgical procedure. Here, an external beam of radiation is aimed at the area where cancer cells need to be destroyed. This process requires hospitalization of the patient.

Doctors are currently evaluating newer regimens that last even shorter amounts of time. In one, large doses of radiation are given each day for five days. In another, called Intraoperative Radiation Therapy or IORT, doctors give a single, large dose during surgery. These newest treatments are still considered experimental, but according to the American Cancer Society, doctors hope they will one day prove to be as effective as the standard.

Effects of Radiation: Radiation Side Effects

Radiation, whether for the purposes of healing or curing, does carry its risks and side effects.

One of the major side effects of radiation therapy is fatigue. Patients end up feeling extremely tired and worn out after the treatment procedure.

Hair loss is also a common effect of radiation therapy. Hair is lost over the areas of the skin where radiation therapy is applied. This may also be followed by skin irritation.

The effects of radiation therapy to the head and neck area are known to cause dry mouth, difficulty in swallowing, sore throat, ear aches, nausea, thickened saliva, sore jaw and change in the taste of food.

Radiation therapy is an important and effective cancer treatment, but it's not benign. There can be side effects; short-term or late complications of treatment. Done incorrectly, radiation therapy can permanently damage surrounding organs and even be life threatening. The risk of these injuries can be minimized with appropriate, state-of-the-art radiation therapy.

Radiation therapy can have many side effects. These side effects depend on the part of the body receiving radiation, the dose of radiation, and how often you have the therapy.

* Hair loss

* Skin pain

* Red, burning skin

* Shedding of the outer layer of skin (desquamation)

Radiation Therapy is in itself painless. Many low-dose palliative treatments (for example, radiotherapy to bony metastases) cause minimal or no side effects. Treatment to higher doses causes varying side effects during treatment (acute side effects), in the months or years following treatment (long-term side effects), or after re-treatment (cumulative side effects). The nature, severity, and longevity of side effects depends on the organs that receive the radiation, the treatment itself (type of radiation, dose, fractionation, concurrent chemotherapy), and the patient.

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