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Radiation therapy   

Overview

Alternative names:

Therapy - radiation; Radiotherapy

Information

Radiation therapy is used to fight many types of cancer. Often it is used to shrink the tumor which is then removed during surgery, or given after surgery to prevent tumor recurrence. Sometimes it is the only treatment needed to cure certain types of cancer. It may also be used to provide temporary relief of symptoms, or to treat malignancies that are not amenable to surgery.

Cancer cells usually multiply faster than most other cells in the body. Since radiation targets rapidly dividing cells, this is advantageous for treatment. The radiation prevents cell division and the replication of DNA (the genetic building blocks). Unfortunately, rapidly dividing healthy cells can also be killed by this process. Skin and hair are some of the most noticeably impacted tissues after treatment, resulting in skin lesions, burning, redness and possibly hair loss.

Following are some commonly used radioactive substances:

• Cesium (137Cs)
• Cobalt (60Co)
• Iodine (131I)
• Phosphorus (32P)
• Gold (198Au)
• Iridium (192Ir)
• Yttrium (90Y)
• Palladium (109)

Radiation therapy can have many side effects. These side effects depend on the part of the body being irradiated and the dose and schedule of the radiation:

• fatigue and malaise
• low blood counts
• difficulty or pain swallowing
• erythema
• edema
• the shedding or sloughing-off of the outer layer of skin (desquamation)
• increased skin pigment (hyperpigmentation)
• atrophy
• skin itching (pruritus)
• skin pain
• changes in taste
• anorexia
• nausea
• vomiting
• hair loss
• increased susceptibility to infection
• fetal damage

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