| Cancer is the deadliest disease of the century. The | | | | Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) and |
| advancements in medical field and years of | | | | Proton Beam Radiation Therapy (PBRT). The Stereo |
| researches have resulted in developing a variety of | | | | tactic radiotherapy is a method used in the treatment |
| treatments for cancer. Chemotherapy, surgery, | | | | of brain tumor. It can be done in three ways such as |
| proton therapy, cryosurgery, radiation therapy etc | | | | Linac-based stereo tactic radio surgery, using heavy |
| are few treatment methods. Radiation treatment is | | | | charged proton or helium ions and the gamma knife |
| done in about 50-60 % of cancer patients.This | | | | technique. Brachytherapy is another advanced |
| method of cancer treatment is applied on almost | | | | method. |
| every type of cancers like breast cancer, pancreatic, | | | | Effectiveness of Radiation therapy on different |
| prostrate, uterus, lungs, leukemia, cancer affecting | | | | types of cancer |
| lymphatic system, soft tissue sarcomas etc. | | | | Radiation therapy has prolonged the survival of |
| Radiation therapy is a targeted therapy where the | | | | cancer patients. As in every treatment different cells |
| cancerous cells are targeted to destroy it. This | | | | responds differently to this treatment also. Radio |
| treatment damages the ability of the cancer cells to | | | | sensitivity depicts the response of cancer cells. |
| replicate and spread cancer. There are various | | | | Radiation dose is the term used to depict the |
| advanced methods of radiation therapy like proton | | | | amount of radiation absorbed by the cancer cells. |
| beam therapy, stereo tactic radio surgery etc. | | | | The currently used unit of the radiation dose is Gray |
| What is a Radiotherapy treatment? | | | | (gy). |
| Radiotherapy can be defined as a cell targeted | | | | The highly sensitive cancer cells like blood cancer and |
| treatment using ionizing radiations to destroy the | | | | germ cell tumors are rapidly destroyed by the minute |
| cancer cells. It causes damage to the genetic make | | | | doses of radiation. Moderately sensitive cells like skin |
| up of the cells which in turn results in the cessation | | | | cancer cells need a higher dose of radiation. There |
| of growth and replication of these cells. These | | | | are even cells that are radio resistant. Melanoma and |
| radiations may damage the nearby normal cells. But | | | | renal cell cancer are good examples. In such cases a |
| most of the normal cells can recover from this. | | | | higher dose of radiation is preferred. Curative |
| Maximum destruction of cancer cells is the aim of the | | | | densitivity of the tumors differ from each |
| treatment. Radiation therapy is used to destroy a | | | | other.Leukaemia cannot be cured as the cancerous |
| tumor completely or to shrink the tumor so as to | | | | cells spread through out the body. Lymphoma can be |
| relieve symptoms. | | | | cured if it is concentrated on one specific area. The |
| Radiation therapy can be used alone or as a | | | | radio responsive tumers are routinely treated with |
| combination with chemotherapy or surgery. This is | | | | curative doses of radiotherapy. |
| mostly done to increase the success of the | | | | Size also matters in cancer treatment. Small sized |
| treatment. There are cases where radiation | | | | tumors are more responsive than large tumors. |
| treatment is used as symptomatic treatment or a | | | | Various methodologies are adopted to nullify this |
| palliative treatment to alleviate symptoms like pain | | | | effect. Surgical resection before therapy is a |
| and improve the condition of the patient. | | | | common method. It is widely adopted in breast |
| Various methods of Radiotherapy | | | | cancer treatment. Using neoadjuvant chemotherapy |
| Basically there are two types of radiation therapy | | | | before radical radiotherapy is another method. |
| -the external radio therapy and internal radio therapy. | | | | Various drugs like Cetuximab, Cisplatin etc are |
| The effectiveness of external radiation therapy can | | | | administered before radiotherapy.All these are |
| be achieved by using certain refined techniques like | | | | radiosensiting drugs. |
| Three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy, | | | | |