Radiation therapy is a type of cancer treatment that seeks to shrink or destroy malignant tumours or cells with help of a powerful beam. Though at the core, the therapy involves using radiation, the working mechanism makes a particular radiation therapy more effective than others.
Radiation therapy is mainly categorized into two types – External Beam Radiation and Internal Beam Radiation. At any reputed cancer special hospital in Kolkata, only an experienced radiologist can figure out which type will be more effective only after incisive reviews of the precise location and size of the tumour, cancer type, and the patient’s general health.
An Insight into Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy uses powerful energy beams to kill cancerous cells or trim the size of tumours. According to a report by the American Cancer Society, more than half of cancer patients undergo radiation therapy.
Both chemotherapy and radiotherapy work towards destruction of malignant cells but the way they are administered and how they work differ significantly. Radiotherapy delivers high-energy beams such as, protons or X-ray to the site of cancer and damages the DNA of the cells. If the malignant cells fail to repair their DNA, they will not be able to multiply and eventually die.
Radiation therapy may harm the neighbouring healthy cells. However, most of these damaged cells can recover over time. The team, which decide and provide radiotherapy treatment, always have an optimized plan to minimize the damage to the healthy tissues and organs.
Radiotherapy therapy may serve different treatment goals. For example, it can improve the outcome of the surgery, prevent spread of cancer or do symptom management in advanced cancer.
Types of Radiation Therapy
As mentioned above, the two main categories of radiation therapy are:
- External
- Internal
External Beam Radiation
External radiation, also called teletherapy, is the most common type of radiation therapy. A patient is comfortably positioned away from a hi-tech machine that generates powerful beam penetrating the body to affect the cancer-affected organ or cells. The process is performed under the supervision of a healthcare professional who ensures precise application and target of the energy beam.
Internal Beam Radiation
This therapy, also known as brachytherapy, has recently been introduced in many leading hospitals for cancer care in Kolkata. During this therapy, a radio-oncologist places a radiation-containing implant near or in the patient’s cancer-affected site. This implant could be:
- A capsule
- A tube
- A wire
- Pellets
- Seeds
Another kind of internal radiation therapy is systematic radiation therapy. It requires the patient to swallow a radioactive substance that travels throughout the body, detects cancerous cells and destroys them. In an alternative way, a healthcare professional may inject a radioactive substance into a patient’s body.
Types of Cancer Radiotherapy Treats
Radiation therapy in Kolkata is used to treat the following types of cancer:
- Breast cancer
- Colon cancer
- Head and neck cancer
- Lung cancer
- Ovary cancer
- Prostate cancer
Brachytherapy is highly effective in the cancers mentioned below:
- Bladder
- Brain
- Breast
- Oesophagus
- Eye
- Cervix
- Head and neck cancer
- Lung
- Rectum
- Skin
- Uterus
- Vagina
Final Words
Radiotherapy, if used alone, is not effective for certain types of cancers in their early stages. It is often used in combination with chemotherapy and surgery to improve the outcome and prevent cancer recurrence.