Radiotherapy

• 2021-05-16 09:17:48
• Selcuk Ince

What is Radiotherapy?

Radiotherapy is the use of X-rays to treat cancer. Radiotherapy can be used to help cure cancer, eliminate the chance of cancer forming again or relieve its symptoms. It can be used as a single option or combined with other treatments like chemotherapy or surgery.

This treatment is preferred since the radiation destroys the production ability of the cancer cells and in this way, the body recovers from these cells. Radiation damages the DNA of cancer cells so that cancer cells cannot grow.

How is Radiotherapy is used?

The physician can use external beam radiation or brachytherapy to treat cancer. Radiation therapy received from radioactive sources is called brachytherapy. The radiation source is sealed in needles or catheters and implanted near a tumour.

Why Radiotherapy is done?

The main goal of radiotherapy is to kill cancer cells. Although radiation will likely damage healthy cells, the effect isn’t permanent. Radiation therapy is used to alleviate symptoms in advanced cancers, act as the primary cancer treatment, kill cancer cells after surgery, or shrink cancer cells before the surgery.

What are the Risks of Radiotherapy?

There are certain risks associated with radiotherapy. Fatigue and hair loss are the most seen side effects. Radiation can also affect the skin, the changes can be blistering, peeling, dryness, or itching. Other side effects can be dry mouth, vomiting, sore throat, nausea, diarrhoea, sexual dysfunction, or earaches.

Does radiation therapy cause cancer?

Radiation therapy can raise the risk of getting another cancer. Most of the time, the risk of second cancer due to the treatment is small and outbalanced by the treatment of cancer; however, the risk still exists. The risk varies depending on the area of the treatment in the body.

Does radiation therapy affect fertility?

When we talk about females, it is important not to get pregnant. It may harm the baby. If chances are high for you to get pregnant, then you should consult your doctor about birth control options. If you get radiation therapy including your ovaries, the radiation can cause dysfunctional ovaries.

When we talk about males, we don’t know very much about the effects on male productivity systems. Therefore, physicians recommend male patients not get a woman pregnant during and some weeks after the treatment. If you are getting radiation on an area including your testicles, it is possible that the radiation can cause the testicles to no longer work and that you would be unable to have children. It’s a good idea to know the risks before the treatment.

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