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Radiotherapy is still a concern. Unnecessarily - irradiation is a safe method of combating mainly cancer, but also non-cancerous diseases. How does radiation therapy work and work, and what are the side effects? How to prepare for a screening?

Radiation therapyin modern medicine is used not only to treat cancer, but also to relieve pain in advanced stages of cancer, reduce bleeding, and eliminate troublesome neurological symptoms caused by significant pressure on the spinal cord .

We are exposed to radiation almost all the time, not only because it is common in nature (e.g. cosmic radiation), but when doing X-ray, mammography, scintigraphy, and undergoing computer tomography examinations.

In diagnostic tests, minimal doses of radiation are used. They are slightly higher in therapy - different in the treatment of cancer, different in the treatment of cancer. Radiation used in medicine can be accurately measured, regulated and dosed, so that side effects can be kept to a minimum.

Using special equipment, the energy contained in the rays is directed to the tumor or a precisely marked part of the body. Such treatment does not hurt, although - like any other - it is not without side effects. However, the gains are much more than the losses.

According to WHO estimates, the number of cancer cases in Poland from over 185.5 thousand. in 2022 it will increase in 2025 to almost 204 thousand. More and more people - because they will be not only the sick, but also their relatives - will be interested in an effective fight against this disease. One of the most important ways to do this is through radiation therapy.

- Radiation therapy usesionizing radiationto destroy cancer cells, inhibit their growth, or reduce the symptoms of the disease, for example by relieving pain. This method is effective especially for primary lesions, as well as regional lymph node metastases. It is used in approximately 75% of all oncological patients - as an independent method or as part of combined treatment, mainly with surgery or chemotherapy - says Katarzyna Bojarowska, MD, a radiotherapist at Affidea International Cancer Center.

Depending on the type andstage of the disease and the planned therapeutic dose, treatment usually lasts from one to several weeks, although there are also one-time therapies. The irradiation itself lasts from a few to several minutes.

Radiotherapy - types

Radiotherapy is divided into teleradiotherapy and brachytherapy. The choice of a radiotherapeutic method always depends on the type and severity of the disease, as well as the age and general condition of the patient.

  • Teleradiotherapyconsists in irradiating the sick area from a certain distance. It is most commonly used to fight cancer. A type of teleradiotherapy is boost radiotherapy (remote irradiation), i.e. single or multiple irradiation of the site after the removed tumor, a much larger (by 10 Gy, Gray - unit dose absorbed by 1 kg of body weight) dose of rays. The method is used in the case of aggressive forms of cancer or, for example, when not enough he althy tissue around the nodule was removed during breast conserving surgery.
  • Brachytherapyinvolves placing a radiation source in diseased tissues, e.g. in a tumor or its vicinity. The rays attack the tumor at close range. Before the irradiation session, thin plastic tubes (applicators) are inserted into the body (under general or local anesthesia) into the tumor-affected area, e.g. the breast or prostate gland, or into the tumor itself. They are then filled with radioactive material for a few minutes and removed after irradiation. The tubes themselves, to avoid re-anesthesia of the patient, remain in the body for several days. Such a method of treatment is offered to patients, e.g. with metastases. The advantage of brachytherapy is that there is no (or only a small) radiation reaction on the skin, which significantly accelerates the complete healing of the skin.

In some neoplastic diseases, e.g. in thyroid cancer, the radioactive isotope is administered intravenously or orally.

Radiotherapy - when is it used?

  • cancer
  • painful degeneration of the knee, hip, hand and finger joints
  • painful shoulder syndrome
  • painful elbow syndrome
  • painful trochanteric bursitis
  • painful calcaneitis
  • Dupuytren's disease
  • Ledderhose disease
  • Peyronie's disease
  • keliners
  • spinal hemangiomas, meningiomas, neuromas, adenomas
  • extra-articular ossification

Radiotherapy - how does it work?

Radiotherapy uses ionizing radiation - which creates free radicals in the tissue through which it passes.The effectiveness of the therapy is based on the harmful effect of radiation on cells and cell nuclei.

Currently, X-rays, radium or cob alt rays are rarely used to fight cancer cells, and more often the radiation generated by the so-called linear accelerators.

The total dose of radiation that destroys cancer cells is administered in many sessions (the so-called fractionated doses) to protect the he althy ones as much as possible.

- Before starting radiotherapy, based on diagnostic tests: computed tomography, magnetic resonance or positron emission tomography combined with computed tomography (PET-CT), the doctor determines the area to be irradiated, i.e. the tumor and, if necessary, packages of adjacent lymph nodes.

Then the medical physicist, using computer systems, selects the treatment method for the patient, but also the radiation energy, to ensure that the prescribed dose is deposited in the indicated area, and at the same time to protect the remaining he althy organs as much as possible - explains Dr. Phys. Marcin Dybek from Affidea International Cancer Center.

Application of radiotherapy in neoplastic diseases

So what's the point of such treatment? In he althy and diseased cells subjected to irradiation, there are great changes in their structure and functioning. There are also so-called Radiation toxins that destroy the proteins from which individual cells are made.

All this leads to their annihilation - regardless of whether they are he althy cells or cancer cells. But between successive irradiation sessions, he althy cells can regenerate and repair the damage that has occurred in them.

Cancer cells cannot do it as efficiently as he althy cells. When they get another dose of rays, they die. This, in simple terms, is the mechanism of cancer treatment through radiation therapy.

Radiotherapy in the treatment of non-cancerous diseases in Poland

The use of irradiation in the treatment of non-cancerous diseases is still not very popular in Poland. The National He alth Fund does not reimburse all procedures, e.g. irradiation can not be used free of charge in the case of age-related degenerative changes. But hemangiomas located in the spine can be removed this way. For privately performed irradiation you need to pay about 2.5 thousand. zloty. But in many cases, it can save you from surgery and greatly reduce your pain medication use.

Experience shows that radiation therapy works well in many non-cancerous diseases, and its effectiveness, depending on the disease, ranges from 24 to 91%.

Non-cancerous diseases that can be treated with radiation therapy may be inflammatory, degenerative (now called age-related) or proliferative, where cells multiply to form benign or vascular tumors (then in some area of ​​the body, abnormally built blood vessels are formed, the so-called angiomas).

To remove such lesions surgically, it would be necessary to carry out a very extensive operation. Using radiotherapy prevents the multiplication of abnormal cells and causes them to gradually disappear.

Example

Let's analyze the situation of a patient with a heel spur. The overloads on the heel cause inflammation. This increases the number of lymphocytes that remodel the diseased area.

Over time, the tendon may harden and become bone-like in structure and act like a nail in a shoe. If we apply radiation to a tendon, we will destroy the cells that led to this situation. The patient will be able to walk normally.

Each session lasts only 1-5 minutes, and along with the time needed for preparation in the irradiation room, it takes about 15 minutes. A radiotherapist watches over the course of therapy, so the patient is safe. During the procedure, you must not move, but you do not need to hold your breath.

Radiotherapy - for whom?

Radiation therapy can be used to improve the condition of patients suffering from diseases related to excessive proliferation (multiplication of cells) or inflammatory processes that cause excruciating pain and disability.

Treatment with this method usually begins when standard therapies have failed or do not bring improvement.

Unfortunately, not everyone can be treated with radiation therapy.

People under 40 are at risk of developing secondary cancers.

Therefore, the decision to start radiation treatment must be preceded by thorough he alth examinations and after careful analysis of the risks and benefits of the therapy.

Radiotherapy - preparation for radiotherapy

Before starting the actual exposure, the so-called simulation, i.e. the area on the body that will be irradiated. The places that should be protected against the harmful effects of rays are also specified. For this purpose, special covers are made, e.g. protecting part of the lungs, he althy part of the face, etc.

During the simulation, the radiotherapist marks the so-called dots on the skin (by tattooing with a special ink). centering points, that is, places that go up tocompletion of treatment will be navigation points for correct beam guidance.

Radiotherapy - what does the session look like?

Radiotherapy usually starts 3-4 weeks after the surgery. This rule is deviated from when the postoperative wound heals worse or when the patient is strongly weakened.

People come to the hospital infirmary for treatments. The total dose of irradiation depends on the size, location, type of cancer and the general he alth of the patient, as well as other forms of therapy used in parallel.

Radiotherapy - safety and side effects

The irradiation doses are small. According to the standards, single doses of 0.5-1.0 Gy (Gray) are recommended, up to a total dose of 3-6 Gy. This is much less than during a neurosurgical or cardiac surgery, which is performed under the control of X-ray machines. Radiotherapy, like surgery, works locally, radiotherapists focus on irradiating a specific site. If someone suffers from:

  • heel spurs
  • painful shoulder
  • rheumatoid arthritis
  • so-called tennis elbow or golfer's elbow

one spot on the body will be irradiated:

  • heel
  • elbow
  • one pond etc.

Treatment usually takes about two weeks, and irradiation is given every two days.

The radiation dose is adjusted in such a way that no radiation reaction appears on the skin - there is no reddening or peeling of the skin.

Radiotherapy is a safe method of treating diseases, but during irradiation, unpleasant ailments may be troublesome, e.g.

  • cough
  • sweating
  • elevated temperature
  • hitherto unknown pain

It may also appear:

  • general fatigue
  • lack of appetite
  • change or loss of taste

If such symptoms occur during radiotherapy, tell your doctor.

Adequate medications or diet can eliminate them or significantly alleviate them. The symptoms are temporary and disappear after irradiation.

The most difficult thing to deal with is fatigue. It is caused by the body using energy to regenerate he althy cells. In order not to get tired, you need to rest a lot or do what you enjoy: reading, listening to music.

Lack of appetite is the effect of changes that take place in he althy cells under the influence of irradiation. However, it is important not to lose too much weight during irradiation. In order for the body to regenerate, you have to eat anywaylack of appetite - more often, but small portions whenever you want.

Avoid cold and hot meals. Food should be easily digestible but wholesome. To avoid additional gastric ailments, it is better to avoid flatulent and spicy dishes. You should not eat light products during the treatment. You have to drink a lot of neutral liquids (boiled water, still mineral water, weak black or green tea).

Radiotherapy - how to take care of the skin?

The skin suffers the most visibly during irradiation. After just a few sessions, it peels off, becomes dry, not very elastic, susceptible to injuries, abrasions, and in the case of long-term patients - also to bedsores. This is because the radiation deprives it of the sebaceous glands, sweat glands and hairs. Its natural renewal is also slower. In such weakened skin, dilated blood vessels and discoloration may also appear.

The basic principle of irradiated skin care is its regeneration and protection against subsequent irritations resulting from the therapy itself and other external factors. Cosmetics used on irradiated skin should contain ingredients tested for safety, but at the same time effectively stimulate the regeneration of weakened cells. The moisturizing properties of the preparations used are just as important as their consistency, which should be rich and at the same time ensure fast absorption, without leaving a too greasy film.

Avoid:

  • drying soaps
  • sharp sponges
  • rough towels

The following should not be applied to sore spots:

  • deodorants
  • perfume
  • ointments
  • gel
  • drugs
  • does not stick patches

Careful care is extremely important to facilitate skin renewal and speed up repair processes, preferably with the use of cosmetics specially formulated for the skin after radiotherapy.

Neither during nor after the irradiation is allowed to visit the solarium and sauna. You should also avoid harsh sun and, in addition, to protect inelastic skin, use creams with a high UV filter. Such protections are necessary for at least one year after the end of the therapy.

You should limit hot baths and, in order not to soften the skin, sit in water with a bath lotion.

Hair dryer is prohibited if head or neck has been irradiated.

After radiotherapy, the skin does not tolerate cold either, because vasoconstriction, which causes a rapid decrease in body temperature, leads to its extensiveischemia.

If the following occurs after the completion of the radiation treatment:

  • vomiting
  • diarrhea
  • weight loss
  • fever or cough that does not go away
  • rash, bleeding, ecchymosis
  • bumps, bumps on the body
  • pain appearing in the same place

see a doctor as soon as possible.

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Category:

Oncology