Radiation therapy is one of the most successful cancer treatments, and it saves millions of lives each year. It can also help reduce cancer-related side effects, especially when combined with chemotherapy or surgery.<\/p>\n
There are different types of radiation therapy, but most use an external machine to destroy tumours by targeting their DNA and preventing them from growing or spreading. Experts at hospitals like CamWell explain why it is important to attend all radiation sessions.<\/p>\n
Radiation therapy is quiet, focused, and effective at curing cancer in millions of people each year. Most people think of chemotherapy and surgery when they hear about cancer treatment, but radiation can be just as important \u2014 if not more so. It can kill cancer cells while protecting the normal tissue nearby. And it can be given on a schedule that suits the patient\u2019s lifestyle.<\/p>\n
The type of radiation used depends on the type and location of the tumor, and it might be given alone or along with chemotherapy or surgery. It can be external or internal radiation.<\/p>\n
External radiation is given through a large X-ray type machine that targets the exact tumor site. The therapist may mark the area with small dots or tattoos (called contouring) to make sure that it is being treated exactly the same each time. You may also be given body molds or a mask to help you lie in the same position each time. In some cases, CT, MRI, or PET scans might be done to see how big and exactly where the tumor is located.<\/p>\n
The therapist might then use 3D Conformal Radiation Therapy (3D-CRT), Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), or Image-Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) to plan your treatment and shape the beams to best target the tumour. These techniques can reduce side effects by shaping the beams so that they don\u2019t hit healthy tissue, and by tracking the tumour with imaging during treatments to minimise damage to nearby tissues. Some types of internal radiation involve placing a radioactive source inside the body, for example, seeds in the chest to treat lung or liver cancers, or tubes into the uterus or vagina to treat cervix or uterine cancers. In these cases, you\u2019ll be radioactive for a short time, and you\u2019ll need to take steps to protect other people.<\/p>\n
Radiation therapy works by breaking DNA inside cells. It takes time for these damaged cells to die. That\u2019s why standard radiation courses are delivered as a series of daily sessions, Monday to Friday with a weekend break, over a course of one to seven weeks. This schedule gives healthy cells a chance to repair themselves between treatments. For a person with a tumor in the middle of the breast or prostate, for example, that means 30 treatment sessions; a person receiving highly focused stereotactic radiation may need only five visits.<\/p>\n
Your team will likely ask you to lie on a table or chair and remain still for the entire treatment session. The therapist will check the marks on your skin (or what are called fiducials) and the position of the machine, and he or she will adjust the machine to find and protect your target area. You might hear buzzing or clicking noises and see a large machine with a circular \u201chead\u201d that moves over the tumor area. You will be positioned differently each day, and you might need to wear a mask or headrest to keep your body in the same position each time. Special blocks or shields might also be placed around the area of the tumor to protect other areas.<\/p>\n
Once your team finds a positioning that delivers the best results, it will use the computer to determine how much radiation each part of your body receives during each session. Radiation oncologists and physicists will also shape the beam into a pattern that covers as much of your tumor as possible while sparing nearby healthy tissues. This process is known as three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy, or 3D-CRT. Using IMRT, a type of 3D-CRT, your radiation oncologist can further tailor the radiation pattern to each patient\u2019s unique anatomy.<\/p>\n
During your course of radiotherapy, it is important to report any new symptoms as they develop, even if you don\u2019t think they are caused by the treatment itself. This helps your doctor monitor side effects and manage them during your weekly review clinic. Symptoms that should be reported right away are those that interfere with your normal daily life, such as trouble breathing or uncontrollable bleeding.<\/p>\n
Dr Mathangi explains: \u201cWhen you\u2019re on the cusp of finishing your course, it\u2019s important to stay focused on that bell-ringing moment. You can use your weekly goals to keep yourself motivated.\u201d<\/p>\n
Each radiation treatment session lasts about 30 minutes, according to Mayo Clinic and the National Cancer Institute. The first part of the session is spent getting positioned. This usually involves removing your clothing and entering the treatment room wearing a hospital gown. The therapist may mark your skin in the areas to be treated and cover you with special blocks or shields to protect other organs. A CT scan might be done before each treatment to check the alignment of the machine and the mark on your body.<\/p>\n
Once you\u2019re positioned, the radiation oncologist will go into a control room nearby and operate the machine. You\u2019ll hear buzzing noises from the machine, which moves around you, and the doctor might talk to you through a headset. Your treatment sessions will likely happen on weekdays for several weeks, with a break on the weekend. This weekend break allows healthy cells to recover before you continue your treatment.<\/p>\n
As your treatment progresses, you may experience some side effects. These vary depending on the area of the body treated and the type of cancer you have. Common symptoms include changes to your skin, soreness in the area, and bowel or bladder issues. You may also experience fatigue and changes to your appetite. Your doctor will discuss the expected side effects for your condition and tell you what to look out for.<\/p>\n
Radiation therapy can make you radioactive for a short time, so you\u2019ll need to follow instructions about not being around people who might be sensitive to radiation. It\u2019s also a good idea to ask your doctor about family planning issues, such as the possibility of sperm banking, before starting radiation treatments.<\/p>\n
If you have any new or sudden symptoms, call your radiation oncologist immediately. They\u2019d rather field ten unnecessary calls than miss one that might be important to your health.<\/p>\n
Radiation therapy, which breaks DNA in cancer cells to kill them, is used in many different ways. It can be the only treatment for some tumors, or used before surgery to shrink a tumor or prevent recurrence. In other cases, it may be combined with chemotherapy or other treatments to destroy more cancer cells. The frequency and duration of radiation treatment varies by the type of cancer and its location.<\/p>\n
It also depends on the kind of radiation you get. For example, internal beam radiation takes longer than external beam therapy because the radiologist needs to take images of your insides before and after each treatment session. This helps ensure that the radiologist has placed the target precisely and isn’t damaging surrounding tissue. This process can take from a couple of weeks to a few days, and is built into your radiotherapy schedule from the outset.<\/p>\n
The last factor is your health and comfort. Radiation can cause fatigue, which can be hard to distinguish from normal wear and tear. Some people feel tired more than others, and it can come on slowly or all at once. Your doctor can suggest coping strategies to help you manage fatigue, such as taking breaks, limiting work and social activities, or getting support from friends and family.<\/p>\n
You might also find that the first few sessions of your course make you feel a bit more tired than usual, but this is often due to daily travel or other disruptions to your routine and usually doesn’t indicate how well your cancer is responding. You will probably notice that the area of your body being treated looks a little raw, and your healthcare team might advise you to avoid rubbing or scratching it. This is because rubbing or scratching can increase the amount of time your healthy tissue has to absorb radiation.<\/p>\n
Then, as the rest of your treatment progresses, you may start to see more changes in the skin and linings of your mouth, throat, bowel or bladder. But these effects unfold over days and weeks, not in a single day, which is why the NHS and Mayo Clinic stress that it can take several treatment courses for you to feel you are making good progress.<\/p>\n