Radiation therapy is an effective treatment for Cancer as it directly kills cancer cells and/or slows down their growth by damaging their inner structures namely DNA. In this type of cancer treatment high doses of X-Rays or Atomic Particles ( such as electrons, protons, neutrons & gamma rays) delivered from equipments are used to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. At lower doses however, radiation ( from X-Rays and other sources) is used to see the inside of the human body. Read on if you wish to know more about the procedure.
How radiation therapy works?
The high doses of radiation used in radiation therapy have the ability to kill cancer cells or slow down their growth by damaging the DNA. Consequently these cells with a damaged DNA stop dividing and die. These cells are eventually broken down and removed by the body. The radiotherapy does not kill the cells right away as it takes time to work and therefore takes several weeks for the therapy to end.
What are the two types of radiation therapy?
There are two main types of radiation therapy:
1) External beam Radiation – In this form of treatment Radiation comes from a machine that aims it at the tumor bearing area. This is a local form of treatment and is used to treat a specific part of the body.
2) Internal Radiation – In this, the source of radiation, which can be either solid or liquid is put inside the body. The solid source method is called brachytherapy and the liquid source form is called systemic therapy.
Why radiation therapy is used?
Radiation therapy is commonly used to treat cancer and thereby cure or lessen cancer symptoms. It prevents the cancer cells from coming back thus stopping the growth from spreading. It is simple to use and does not physically hurt the patient while treatment is delivered.
Can a person continue work/study while being treated with radiation therapy?
This solely depends on the general health of the patient. Some individuals are able to work/study fulltime during radiation therapy. While there are others who can work/study part-time – a few patients cannot work at all while treatment is on. The manner in which a person psychologically and physically feels/ copes during the ongoing treatment has a direct correlation with their ability to continue with their work or study. During the later stages of the therapy most of the people get tired, have less energy, or feel weak. However, once the treatment is over, it will take just a couple of weeks for an individual to get back to normalcy.
With increasing doses of radiation therapy, patients tend to temporarily suffer from a few local and generalized side effects and might become too weak to continue with their work/study. Don’t worry as these are your body’s way of coping with the changes in your cells and will pass off in due time.
You can always book an appointment with the best doctor for cancer treatment in Kolkata. The experts will guide you regarding the treatment.