Understanding Radiation
What is radiation therapy ?
Radiation therapy or radiotherapy is cancer treatment method which uses high energy X rays or other particles to kill the cancer cells .How does radiation work?
As we know each cell has a nucleus which contains the DNA responsible for cell division and growth. Contrary to what is commonly believed, radiation doesn’t kill or burn the tumour cells. It actually damages the DNA of the cancer cells irreparably so that they do not multiple and grow further.Is it painful?
No. Radiation therapy is a totally painless treatment. It uses high energy X rays which are the same rays used in x ray of bones or CT scans. Pain can occur due to disease itself or some side effects , but radiation itself is painless.Where can radiation be used?
Radiation is an integral part of cancer treatment. It has a role in almost all cancers. It can be used alone as in most head and neck cancers and brain tumours with or without chemotherapy, after surgery as additional treatment as in breast cancer or as a palliative treatment to treat symptoms like bone soon, bleeding or brain metastasis in the last stage of cancer. It is a local treatment at the site of disease and doesn’t affect other parts of the body. Use of radiation depends on the cancer type, location, stage, patient’s age and general condition.Are there any side effects of Radiation therapy ?
Yes, Radiation does cause some side effects. Whenever radiation enters your body , part of it is absorbed and rest then exists the body. So it is going to affect all the organs and tissues it passes through. With various technological advances in radiation techniques over the years, it is planned in such a way that it causes maximum damage to the cancer cells and minimum to the surrounding normal tissues. The damage to these normal tissues is known as the side effects. It depends on the site of treatment and will be confined to the nearby structures only and not affect the whole body. Like if you are getting treatment in head and neck region you might get some oral ulcers, difficulty in swallowing , skin darkening etc, for radiation in abdomen you might have mild abdominal pain or burning in passing urine or stools. Since your doctor knows what are the nearby areas affected, the side effects can be easily predicted beforehand, for which your doctor will prescribe medications preventively, and they can be easily managed. The rationale behind giving radiation for five days with a two-day gap is to let the normal tissues repair and recover in the gap period while the cancer cells cannot. Also as soon as your radiation stops, it will heal and be back to normal in a few day’s time.What are the types of Radiation therapy?
There are mainly two types of radiotherapy:
- External beam radiotherapy/teletherapy: Here a large machine generates rays which is then directed to the patient’s body from different direction to the specified area from a distance without touching the patient.
- Internal beam radiotherapy / brachytherapy : Here the radiation source is placed inside the patients body in close proximity to the tumour. It give radiation very close to the tumour causing least damage to surrounding tissues.
The choice of these treatments depends on a lot of factor like type and stage of tumour and can be used alone or in combination.