bing3b





Wait for the Link show ....


Please Wait.... 20 seconds



 
 




How Does Radiation Therapy Work?

High-dose radiation kills cancerous cells that are found in the body of a person suffering from cancer. Technically, the radiation destroys cancer cells at the molecular level and keeps them from reproducing. It is especially adept at killing cells that replicate quickly, such as those associated with mesothelioma.

A team of specialists including a radiation oncologist, medical physicists, and other healthcare providers will create a treatment plan and conduct radiation therapy. The team will carefully review x-rays, CT scans, and MRI studies to view the mesothelioma as it is situated next to healthy tissue. These radiological images will be used to make precise measurements, and the team will identify the best dose of radiation for the given patient.

Several issues are considered during radiation therapy. The medical professionals will attempt to avoid directing the beam at healthy tissues that surround the tumor, but will calculate a radiation dose that should be toxic to the entire diseased area. Since mesothelioma rarely forms a discrete tumor and grows near many sensitive areas (e.g., the spinal cord, heart, esophagus, liver, and opposite lung), every effort is made to direct the beam at the cancer cells and limit damage to healthy tissues. Specialized radiation delivery techniques have been developed to more precisely target mesothelioma cells.

Unlike chemotherapy, however, mesothelioma radiation therapy is a localized treatment which kills only the cells in the area to which the radiation is applied. It is not helpful in treating cancer which has metastasized – or spread to other parts of the body.

Radiation and Mesothelioma

Some mesothelioma patients are not candidates for radiation therapy, while the treatment may be, in fact, preferable for others. It also may be offered in tandem with other treatments, like surgery or chemotherapy.

While radiation therapy will not cure mesothelioma, doctors often suggest it as a palliative measure in order to relieve some of the uncomfortable side effects of the disease. Radiation therapy has proven quite successful in relieving pain as well as reducing instances of shortness of breath in mesothelioma patients.

Oncologists experienced in the treatment of mesothelioma will be able to determine if and how you might benefit from radiation therapy. If it is prescribed for you or a loved one, it is essential to stick to the schedule so that the patient receives the most benefit from the treatment.

Types of Radiation Therapy

Traditionally, there have been two types of radiation therapy available to cancer patients, external beam radiation and internal radiation. However, there are several other types of radiation therapy that may be available for patients depending on the type of mesothelioma they have.

External Beam Radiation

The most common form of radiation therapy, external beam radiation is achieved by means of an x-ray machine which aims radioactive waves at the tumor or affected portion of the body. Positioning of the radiation delivery device is critical. During the first treatment, a small tattooed dot (the size of a freckle) or semi-permanent ink dots may be applied to the skin to mark a location for the current and subsequent radiation treatments. A precise dose of radiation is delivered by a radiation beam to the tumor. Since the beam is outside of the body, healthy tissue such as skin, muscle, and bone may receive some radiation as well.

The procedure is fairly quick and is accomplished on an outpatient basis. The actual exposure to radiation takes a few minutes, but the positioning and preparation may take 20 minutes or more. How many radiation treatments a patient requires will depend on individual cases and include factors such as stage of the disease and size and location of the tumor, but the standard is administered five days a week over the course of several weeks.

Internal radiation

Also known as brachytherapy, this type of radiation involves placing a radioactive implant into the cancerous tissue. It allows for the implementation of higher doses in a single treatment or is suggested for patients with tumors that are located deep inside the body and are unable to be reached by traditional external beam radiation. Brachytherapy is considered a highly targeted form of radiation. Patients must be admitted to the hospital for internal radiation, and because exposure to the patient may cause danger to others due to radioactivity, visitors will be limited for the first few days. Implants such as these may be temporary or permanent, and can be offered as a first course of treatment, paired with chemotherapy or used after surgery.
© Shared by Mafsyah