Table of Contents
The radiation treatment plan that is best for you depends on the kind of procedure that you will have as well as countless other factors including your health, your test results, and the existence of any other treatments you currently are receiving.
The Varieties of External-Beam Radiation Therapy
External-beam radiation is the most popular kind of radiation treatment. This method transmits radiation to a person’s body from an external machine, which can be utilized to heal substantial sections of a person’s body. External-beam radiation also relies on a line accelerator (or linac)
A machine referred to as a line accelerator (linac) establishes a beam of radiation for either photo radiation or radiation beam x-rays. Computer software helps the person operating the software change the shape and size of the beam, which makes sure that the tumor is targeted while healthy tissue is avoided.
Radiation therapy is routinely administered on a weekday basis for several weeks. In addition to radiation therapy, patients are often provided with plastic or other form-fitting supports to make sure that their body remains steady while the radiation beams reach them.
Several kinds of external-beam radiation therapy exist, which include:
- Three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT). During radiation therapy of this kind, extensive 3-dimensional imagery of the cancer is established from computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. Your medical team will utilize these images to focus the beams. By utilizing this technique, your medical providers will be able to more safely utilize higher doses of radiation therapy and minimize the impact on healthy tissue. This ultimately reduces the side effects that a person ends up facing.
- Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). This kind of radiation is more complex than others. With IMRT, radiation intensity varies. This contrasts with conventional 3D-CRT, which utilizes the same intensity with the same beam. IMRT focuses on the tumor and steers clear of healthy tissues better than 3D-CRT.
- Proton beam therapy. Treatment of this kind utilizes protons instead of x-rays. Protons are positively charged particles. At higher energy, protons have the potential to terminate cancer cells. Protons pass to the focused-on tumor and deposit a certain dose of radiation therapy. In contrast to x-ray beams, little radiation dose goes past the tumor when proton therapy is used. This procedure ultimately limits damage to surrounding healthy tissue. Proton therapy is a newer kind of treatment that requires unique equipment. Proton therapy is currently only used to treat some kinds of cancer.
- Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT). IGRT relies on imaging during radiation treatment. Imagery is taken both shortly before and during treatment and then compared to imagery taken before treatment commenced. This facilitates medical staff in positioning the radiation as precisely as possible.
- Stereotactic radiation therapy (SRT). This kind of treatment delivers a substantial but precise dose to the small area of a tumor. Patients during SRT must remain particularly still. Patients will often utilize a head frame or body mold during SRT because it helps them to limit movement. SRT is routinely provided as one treatment or in less than 10 treatments. Some people, however, end up needing multiple rounds of SRT.
The Kinds of Internal Radiation Therapy
Internal radiation therapy is referred to as brachytherapy, which is a kind of radiation therapy when radioactive material is placed into either the cancer directly or the surrounding tissues. Implants of this kind may be permanent or temporary. Treatment for this kind of radiation therapy often involves a hospital stay. Some kinds of internal radiation therapy include:
- Permanent implants. These tiny steel seeds contained radioactive materials. The seeds are approximately the size of grains of rice and deliver most of the radiation therapy around the area where they are placed. Some radiation, however, can still exit a person’s body. This requires safety measures to guard others against radiation exposure. As time passes, implants often lose radioactivity.
- Temporary internal radiation therapy. Radiation therapy of this kind is given through a needle, a tube referred to as a catheter, and through special applicators. Radiation remains in a patient’s body for anywhere from several minutes to several days. Most people receive internal radiation therapy for a few minutes. Sometimes, internal radiation therapy is given for a longer period. In these cases, patients remain in private rooms to limit exposing other individuals to radiation.
Other Kinds of Radiation Therapy Treatment
Besides these options, other kinds of radiation therapy treatment options exist.
Some of these other options include:
- Intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) Intraoperative radiation therapy delivers radiation therapy to a tumor during surgery through either external or internal beam radiation therapy. IORT lets surgeons move healthy tissue out of the way so it does not interfere with tissue damaged during radiation therapy. This kind of treatment is helpful when vital organs are close to the tumor.
- Systemic radiation therapy. Patients during this procedure either swallow or undergo an injection of radioactive material that combats cancer cells. The radioactive material exists in the body later through urine, sweat, or saliva. These fluids are radioactive and individuals in close contact with the patient should take adequate safety measures.
- This kind of systemic therapy involves the use of monoclonal antibodies, which are proteins that are attracted to certain markets found on the outside of cancer cells and end up delivering radiation directly to the tumors. Because the treatment relies on these certain antibodies, there is less impact on the nearby healthy tissue.
- Radiosensitizers and radioprotectors. Medical professionals are currently studying radiosensitizers and radioprotectors. Radiosensitizers are materials that help radiation therapy more effectively terminate tumors. Radioprotectors are materials that guard healthy tissues close to the treatment area.
How You Prepare for Radiation
Before receiving radiation, your team of medical professionals will guide you through the process to make sure that the beam of radiation reaches the appropriate location in your body. Planning for radiation often includes:
- Radiation simulation. Your medical team during simulation will help you determine a comfortable position that you can stay in while you receive radiation treatment. You must remember to lie still during treatment, which means that finding a comfortable position is often critical. Medical staff will use cushions as well as restraints to make sure that you are held still while you receive radiation.
- Planning scans. Your team of medical professionals during radiation will utilize computerized tomography scans to decide what specific part of your body needs treatment.
After planning occurs, your team of medical professionals will decide what kind of radiation you need as well as the dosage you will receive based on the cancer you have, the cancer stage, your health, your age, and treatment goals.
Standard Dosage for Radiation
Gray (Gy) is the measurement unit that assesses the total amount of radiation that a person has received. Sometimes, this measurement is also referred to as Centigray (cGy) or .01 of one unit of Gy.
Adjuvant therapy dosage often ranges between 45 to 60 Gy for the treatment of cancers found in a person’s neck, head, or breasts. These doses are divided into small doses administered over a one to several-month period. The dosage each patient receives is influenced by a tumor’s location in the body as well as the severity of cancer. Dosage determination is a result at the discretion of a person’s oncologist, who bear responsibility for administering these therapeutic selections.
Fractioning of Dosages
The total amount of radiation that a person receives is often divided into several fractions. For many people who need radiation therapy, the total dosage is divided into daily doses of five items a week for somewhere between five to eight weeks. Some cancers require multiple radiation treatments throughout the day. Each fraction of radiation contains a small amount of radiation that slowly collects in a person’s body to form the total dose. This strategy allows the effective treatment of cancer cells while lowering the amount of damage the treatment can cause to healthy tissue.
The Frequency of Doses
Hyperfractionated radiation separates the daily dose into two daily treatments. This means that a patient is subjected to smaller but more routine radiation doses over the same period. On the other hand, hypofractionated radiation divides the total doses into bigger diseases by giving a dose less than once a day.
The Length of Radiation Treatment
Standard radiation treatment lasts between eight to five weeks, based on what kind of cancer is being treated. The length of treatment is also at the discretion of the oncologist who is supervising the therapy.
Accelerated radiation is when the total dosage is administered over a shorter period than average. This routinely involves more frequent diseases, which are often administered more than once daily to administer the equivalent dosage over a short unit of time. This can prove advantageous in certain kinds of cancer that necessitate a more aggressive kind of treatment.
Alterations to dosage frequency or treatment length do not impact the total radiation exposure. Consequently, the long-term effects of radiation between these two different methods are often similar.
How Your Treatment Schedule Will Likely Proceed
After your first meeting with the radiation oncologist and before you start to receive any actual treatment, many details must be decided. During this time, the radiation oncologist will determine the location of treatment, what dose of radiation you require, and how many treatments are necessary. The total dose of radiation is divided into substantially daily doses referred to as fractionation. This is to make sure that it does its intended job while damaging your normal cells to the smallest extent possible. The number of required radiation treatments varies based on your situation as well as the site’s irradiation and the chance that you received radiation previously.
Your Weekly Treatment Schedule
Radiation treatment is often given five days a week for several weeks, but can also be given twice daily for shorter periods. Radiation can also be given as a single dose. Frequently, the second visit to a radiation oncology office to receive the simulation takes hours,
It is a good idea to structure your day around radiation appointments. A radiation physicist (or what is referred to as a dosimetrist) helps an oncologist who specializes in radiation plan the treatment. Radiation oncologists are also tasked with making sure that radiation equipment remains properly functioning at all times.
The Role of the Radiation Oncologist
You will likely not receive radiation treatment following your initial visit but will receive a daily radiation time as well as a start date before you are discharged. During many visits to radiation offices, you will meet with your radiation oncologist and often will be treated by the same radiation technician daily who will be acquainted with your distinct needs. This technician will also express to the radiation oncologist any concerns or side effects that you are experiencing. Often, you will see the radiation oncologist either weekly or once every two weeks. You will also likely make follow-up visits after completing radiation to talk about additional follow-up and sometimes even treatments.
What to Expect from Radiation
Radiation conducted using an external beam is often performed through the use of a linear accelerator, which is a machine that focuses high-energy beams on your body. While you lie on a table, the accelerator will move around your body delivering radiation. An accelerator can be adjusted by medical staff to make sure that it delivers the specific amount of radiation that your oncologist has requested.
Treatment will almost always last between 10 minutes to half an hour. Sometimes, one treatment ‘’
might be used to alleviate pain or side effects associated with cancer.
During treatment, you will lie down in the position you decided on during radiation simulation As the accelerator moves around you to reach each angle, you will likely hear a buzz emanating from the machine.
You will lie still and breathe as you normally do during treatment. Some patients
with lung or breast cancer, however, might be requested to hold their breath while treatment is delivered.
While you receive treatment, your radiation team will wait close by so you can engage in conversation. Remember to say something if you do not feel comfortable. You will likely, however, not feel any pain from the radiation treatment.
Radiation Takes Time for Goals to Be Seen
The maximum advantage gained from radiation often only becomes clear six or more weeks after finishing radiation. Often, it takes this long for the various side effects including physical pain to end. You will likely notice the skin around the area becomes red in appearance as if it is sunburned. If painful, the area can be treated with various topical locations prescribed by radiation therapists.
The goal of radiation therapy is influenced by your kind of cancer as well as how far cancer has spread from your body. While radiation therapy can be administered alone, it can also be provided as part of a treatment plan. Some ways in which radiation therapy is used include:
- Primary treatment. In these situations, the goal of treatment is to eliminate cancer and prevent recurrence from occurring
- Before other treatments. Radiation therapy, referred to as “neoadjuvant radiation therapy” can be administered before other kinds of treatment.
- After other treatments. Radiation therapy, sometimes called “adjuvant radiation therapy”, is given after other kinds of treatment to eliminate any remaining cancer cells.
- To alleviate symptoms. Radiation therapy can be utilized to lessen the signs and symptoms associated with cancer. This is known as “palliative radiation therapy.”
Fortunately, radiation therapy can be utilized to treat various kinds of cancer. Over half the individuals currently diagnosed with cancer will receive some kind of radiation. For certain kinds of cancer, radiation therapy proves to be an effective treatment.
Dealing with the Treatment Area
The place on your body where high-energy rays are focused is referred to as the treatment area. A technologist will find this area through the use of x-ray equipment while you lie on a table. After locating the area, a medical professional will then mark your skin with an indelible marker which will create a tattoo. The tattoo cannot be washed off your skin until treatment has concluded. If these marks come off your body for any reason, you should promptly contact your oncologist who will tell you what to do. In some situations, a plastic or plaster cast must be constructed to help make sure that you remain in the same spot for treatments. Casts can also protect certain organs from receiving too much radiation exposure.
Occasionally, casts of plaster or plastic for the suggested site of treatment must be constructed. Forms of this kind help a person remain in the same location for treatments. Sometimes, these forms are also meant to protect areas from the damage posed by radiation therapy.