Radiotherapy- What to expect and what are the side effects?

 

What is Radiation therapy?

Radiation therapy is the use of high-energy radiation to damage cancer cells' DNA and destroy their ability to divide and grow. It may be delivered using machines called linear accelerators or via radioactive sources placed inside the patient on a temporary or permanent basis. Radiation therapy may be used to cure cancer, to relieve a cancer patient's pain or alleviate other symptoms.

Preparation for radiation therapy is focused on targeting the radiation dose to the cancer as precisely as possible to minimize side effects and avoid damaging normal cells. Imaging tests may be used to help determine the exact shape and location of your tumor and define its boundaries. Your doctor will give you specific instructions based on the type of exam being performed.

 

Why is it required?

Radiation therapy can be used to treat many types of cancer either alone or in combination with other treatments. While it's important to remember each cancer and each person is different, radiation is often the treatment of choice for the following purposes-

1.To cure or shrink early-stage cancer- Some cancers are very sensitive to radiation. Radiation may be used by itself in these cases to make the cancer shrink or completely go away. In some cases, chemotherapy or other anti-cancer drugs may be given first. Certain cancers that can be cured either by radiation or by surgery, radiation may be the preferred treatment. This is because radiation can cause less damage and the part of the body involved may be more likely to work the way it should after treatment.

2.To stop cancer from coming back (recurring) somewhere else- Cancer can spread from where it started to other body parts. Doctors often assume that a few cancer cells might already have spread even when they can’t be seen on imaging scans like CT scans or MRIs. For instance, people with certain kinds of lung cancer may get radiation to the head, even when there is no cancer known to be there, because their type of lung cancer often spreads to the brain. This is done to help prevent cancer from spreading to the head even before it can.

3. To treat symptoms caused by advanced cancer- Sometimes cancer has spread too much to be cured. But some of these tumors can still be treated to make them smaller so that the person can feel better. Radiation might help relieve problems like pain, trouble swallowing or breathing, or bowel blockages that can be caused by advanced cancer. This is called palliative radiation.

4. To treat cancer that has returned (recurred)- If a person's cancer has returned (recurred), radiation might be used to treat the cancer or to treat symptoms caused by advanced cancer. Whether radiation will be used after recurrence depends on many factors. For instance, if the cancer has come back in a part of the body that has already been treated with radiation, it might not be possible to give more radiation in the same place. It depends on the amount of radiation that was used before. In other instances, radiation might be used in the same area of the body or a different area.

 

The process

When deciding on your course of treatment your doctor takes into account:

• your type of cancer


• the position of the cancer in your body


• any other treatment you've had, are having, or is planned for you


• your general health and fitness

Radiotherapy with the aim of curing cancer usually lasts between 1 to 7 weeks.

For radiotherapy to relieve symptoms, you might have anything between a single treatment to 2 weeks of treatment. It might be longer than this. Your doctor will tell you how many treatments you’ll have.

Most people have daily treatment on weekdays, with a rest at weekends. But this can vary. For example, you might have treatment once a week for a set number of weeks. It is also sometimes possible to have more than one treatment per day. Let your radiographer (sometimes called a radiotherapist) know if you have any commitments, such as work or childcare, that mean you need a specific time for your appointments. They will try to be as flexible as possible, but it can difficult depending on how busy the department is.

Are there any side effects?

High doses of radiation therapy are used to destroy cancer cells. Side effects come from damage to healthy cells and tissues near the treatment area. Major advances in radiation therapy have made it more precise. This reduces the side effects. Some people experience few side effects from radiation therapy. Or even none. Other people experience more severe side effects.

Reactions to the radiation therapy often start during the second or third week of treatment. They may last for several weeks after the final treatment. Some of them include:

• fatigue


• hair loss


• diarrhea


• skin changes


• nausea and vomiting