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Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Modern medicine has advanced treatment options that help patients fight cancer and increase survival rates. One such important treatment modality is radiotherapy. This article explores the various aspects of radiotherapy including what it is, how it works, types of radiotherapy, benefits and risks.
What is Radiotherapy?
Radiotherapy, also called radiation therapy, is a cancer treatment that uses high doses of radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. It works by damaging the DNA of cells, making it difficult for them to reproduce. Radiation is usually delivered from a machine external to the body (external-beam radiotherapy), but it can also be given internally through implanted seeds, wires, or catheters (brachytherapy). Radiotherapy is mainly used to treat cancerous solid tumors but can also be utilized to destroy remaining cancer cells after surgery or shrink tumors to relieve symptoms.
Mechanism of Action
When radiation is delivered to the tumor area, it passes through the body and damages the DNA of cells. Cancer cells are most susceptible to radiotherapy because they are dividing rapidly. However, radiotherapy also affects some normal cells. Healthy cells can recover from radiation damage easier than cancer cells. The radiation destroys the cancer cells directly or prevents them from multiplying, causing the tumor to shrink or die. Multiple, fractionated radiotherapy treatments over several weeks allow healthy tissues time to repair while continuously damaging cancerous cells.
Types of Radiotherapy
There are different types of radiotherapy based on the source of radiation and how it’s delivered:
– External Beam Radiotherapy: Most common type where a machine outside the body delivers radiation beams to precisely targeted tumor areas. Includes 3D conformal radiotherapy, intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), stereotactic body radiotherapy, stereotactic radiosurgery.
– Brachytherapy: Involves placing radioactive sources inside or near the tumor. Sources include seeds, wires, or catheters. Used for breast, cervical, prostate, and other cancers. Provides high doses directly to tumors with little impact on surrounding tissues.
– Systemic Radiotherapy: Radioisotopes are taken orally or injected into the body to treat metastatic or widespread cancers like thyroid cancer. Includes radioactive iodine treatment and radiolabeled antibodies.
– Intraoperative Radiotherapy: Delivers a single high dose of radiation to the tumor bed during surgery before wound closure.
Benefits of Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy offers several advantages as a cancer treatment:
Cures or Controls Localized Tumors: When used alone or combined with other treatments, radiotherapy can cure early-stage cancers or control locally advanced tumors. It is effective for many tumor types.
Preserves Organs and Limbs: Often allows organ-sparing or limb-sparing options compared to extensive surgeries. Prevents removal of entire organs or limbs for local regional control.
Palliative Effect: Even if a cure is not possible, radiotherapy provides relief from cancer symptoms like pain, bleeding, blockages. Improves quality of life for patients with advanced cancers.
Non-Invasive: External beam radiotherapy does not require making incisions and is usually an outpatient procedure. Most patients tolerate treatment well.
Can be Repeated: For recurrent cancers after initial radiotherapy, a second course may be delivered safely with careful planning and modern techniques.
Combination with Other Modalities: Radiotherapy synergizes well with chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted drugs to maximize tumor response. Used before, during or after other treatments.
Potential Side Effects and Risks
While radiotherapy is usually well-tolerated, side effects depend on treatment details like dose, area, patient factors. Acute effects occur during/soon after treatment and resolve over weeks. Late effects show up months/years later. Some potential risks include:
– Fatigue: Common due to normal cell damage but temporary.
– Skin Reactions: Rash, irritation, hyperpigmentation in treated area. Managed with creams.
– Gastrointestinal Issues: Nausea, diarrhea from abdominal/pelvic radiation. Rarely severe.
– Thyroid Problems: Hypothyroidism risk from neck irradiation needing lifelong supplementation.
– Bone/Tissue Injury: Risk of fracture, joint stiffness, soft tissue damage with high doses near bones or joints.
– Heart Problems: Pericarditis, arrhythmias in rare cases from cardiac radiotherapy. Lifelong monitoring may be needed.
– Second Cancers: Low lifetime risk (<3-5%) of new solid tumors developing decades later due to radiation exposure. Risk management is possible.
– Other Organ Toxicity: Rare but includes lung fibrosis, neurocognitive decline depending on treatment fields. Careful planning mitigates risks.
Conclusion
In conclusion, radiotherapy is a crucial component of modern cancer care. With continued technological advances, radiotherapy delivers higher doses more precisely to tumors with enhanced protection of normal tissues. It effectively treats a wide spectrum of cancers either alone or combined with other modalities. While side effects need monitoring and management, radiotherapy offers an important non-invasive treatment to cure cancers or improve quality of life. Ongoing research further optimizes radiotherapy and reduces long-term effects to maximize benefits for cancer patients.
*Note:
1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it
