The goal of radiation therapy to treat cancer is either the complete removal of malignant cells and complete recovery, or only a decrease in the tumor and alleviate the suffering. All this depends on the stage of the cancer, tumor size, etc.
Radiation therapy (radiotherapy) is currently used as a standalone type of treatment (more children), and as an extra in conjunction with surgery The main types of radiation therapy:
1.Naruzhnoe treatment - when the body is located at a certain distance from the radiation source, in this case using X-rays. 2.Vnutrennyaya therapy - this is when the radiation acts directly on the tumor by close contact with a radiation source, a place in the tumor sewn container with radiation and is already inside it starts to fight cancer cells. 3.System nature of radiation, ie, this is when the whole body is exposed to radiation exposure - this is mainly used to treat blood cancers. If we talk about what methods are effective, or more frequently used, in the main, of course, use the remote exposure or combined methods, if the cancer has progressed.
External radiation therapy is used to treat many types of cancer, and the cancer is bladder, brain, liver, breast, cervix, vagina, etc. This treatment can be used not only to cure, but simply relieve the pain and symptoms and prolong life for a while. These studies showed that ionizing radiation causes virtually all forms of cancers, other than chronic lymphocytic leukemia, Hodgkin's disease (Hodgkin's disease), cancer of the cervix, and prostate. Long-term observation of a group of 93,000 people who survived the atomic bomb have shown that an increased incidence of malignant tumors began with leukemia, the peak incidence that made 10 years after the explosion. The risk associated with radiation, has been promoted to acute lymphocytic and myelocytic leukemia, as well as for chronic myelocytic leukemia. it is also a marked increase in the incidence of thyroid cancer among residents of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the The dependence of the risk of disease from the radiation dose.
The increased incidence of breast cancer was observed 10 years after the explosion Possible side effects of radiation therapy Psychologically exaggerated side effects of radiation therapy are a major cause of failure of treatment in older patients. Such classical effects of radiation therapy - as persistent nausea or hair loss - no, because the dose of ionizing radiation is very small, and acute radiation disease does not develop. However, the side effects should be remembered: in the middle of a course of radiation therapy in many patients there is a general fatigue, increasing to the end of the course and passing yourself radiotherapy increases, and after the treatment wears off within 1-2 months. Many patients occasionally occur short-term bouts of dull aching, sometimes sharp shooting pains in the irradiated breast. Typically, the treatment of this condition is required. In the middle of the course in svzi cumulation with X-rays effect on the skin develops so-called radiation dermatitis: 3-4 weeks from the start of radiation therapy develop local irritation of the breast skin, which is accompanied by swelling of the subcutaneous tissue, redness, itching, dryness of skin. Only a small number of patients developed radiation dermatitis modeled "sunburn", a detachment of the epidermis and the formation of bubbles - "moist desquamation." Most often, such a skin reaction seen in places of natural folds of skin under the breasts or in the armpits. In most cases, skin reactions disappeared after 5-7 weeks after completion of treatment.
The procedure itself is painless and no discomfort the patient does not experience, but in the case of young patients anesthesia - a necessary measure. During the process, you can not move the radiation beam affects up to a tenth of a millimeter
To label put on a special mask. When doctors made sure that the baby fell asleep, all out of the room. It is can not be here:. A large dose of radiation Mikhail Gershovich , a senior fellow at the Research Institute of Oncology named after NN Petrov, PhD: "With regard to this case, the tumor is located in the vital areas in the brain stem, which is breathing, eye center , blood supply to the area. If the treatment will be performed inaccurately, there can be serious complications that will spoil the child lives forever. " During the process in the treatment nearly a dozen specialists with a voltage observed by monitors. The main work was produced before the so-called planning point. Before the first session here create a three-dimensional radiation therapy plan