The Principles of Radiotherapy for Cancer

May 31st, 2010

Radiation therapy or also known as radiotherapy is a standard treatment method for cancer, along with surgery and chemotherapy. Currently, it is utilized to cure localized solid tumors like breast cancer, skin cancer and even cervical cancer. It may as well be utilized for lymphoma and leukemia treatment

Radiotherapy causes cancerous cells the inability to develop and multiply by ruining the DNA structure located in these cancerous cells. Radiation exposure is applied with the hope of eradicating the cancer and curing the disease. The procedure of radiotherapy itself is intended to target cancer cells, there is a possibility that healthy cells adjacent the tumor becoming affected by the exposure thus causing damages to these healthy cells. The basic technique of radiotherapy is to optimize tumor cell radiation exposure while minimizing the exposure to healthy cells. When healthy cells are exposed to radiation, it may cause several adverse effects. The progress and development radiotherapy is limited due to these negative side effects. Although, there are other types of radiotherapy which results in minimal harm to the healthy tissue surrounding the tumor since they are quite focused to the cancer. These types of sophisticated radiotherapy include proton therapy and Cyber Knife therapy.

The success of radiotherapy increases with the use of radiosensitizers and radioprotectors. Several substances that are rediosensitizers include green tea, curcumin, genistein and even hyperthermia. On the other hand, substances that are considered to be radioprotectors include glutathione, shark oil, whey protein, and ginseng. Radiotherapy is a very detailed and intricate procedure which requires thorough preparation since the success of radiotherapy also depends on specific drugs, technical approaches and nutritional supplements. These additional factors can help improving and even curing side effects brought forth by radiotherapy exposure.

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The History of Cancer Radiotherapy

May 31st, 2010

When Rontgen and Becquerel discovered radiation and x – rays during the late 1800s it stimulated the development and research for radiation application. Also, during the turn of the century, Marie Curie received a Nobel Prize for her work and research on radioactive elements.

Coincidently, based on several studies at that time, physicians and scientist discovered that radiation exposure slowed and regressed the development of several cancerous tumors. At that time experts could not find the cause of this phenomena even though based on historical data, the first oncologist treated successfully the first cancer patient in 1898. During this early era of radiotherapy, it was mainly used to treat superficial types of cancer. Interestingly enough, most cancer cases treated at this time had a tendency to reoccur due to the inconsistent specification of radiation application procedures and the huge doses of radiation the patient was exposed to.

The development of radiotherapy continued throughout that late 1930s until the late 1940s when the enhanced development of hardware allowed propelling charged particles via a vacuum tunnel known as a linear accelerator or Linac for short. This development was utilized to create an extremely penetrable beam to focus radiation onto cancerous tumors deeper within the body while limiting its effect towards the skin. Edward Ginzton and Dr. Henry Kaplan, two experts for Stanford University, collaborated to implement a standard operational procedure which could be used safely in a clinical setting. By the year 1960, the research of these experts resulted in the first publically used rotational radiotherapy Linac known as the Clinac 6. On the other hand, when Clinca 6 was introduced, an enhanced powered x – ray projection machine system was readily available to a certain radiation oncologist. Although, flaws in this machine system included limited ability to direct the charged particles and locating the main tumor.

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Learning About Radiotherapy and Brachytherapy for Prostate Cancer

May 31st, 2010

When dealing with the treatment of prostate cancer, several methods come to mind. Usually, various different treatment methods are combined to achieve the most optimal results. One treatment method for prostate cancer is Brachytherapy. This is a form of treatment where several radiation seeds are inserted into the cancerous tumor located in the prostate gland. Subsequently, the inserted seeds produce a dose of radiation into the tumor over a certain time frame which can be several months depending on the stage of the cancer.

Even though brachytherapy has the same principal as conventional radiotherapy, the way it is administered is quite different. The basic mechanism of both methods is to apply radiation to eradicate cancerous cells. With brachytherapy, radiation seeds supply the dosage of radiation need to eradicate the cancer. With this method, radiation exposure levels are not damaging to other parts of the body, but it can still cause short term and long term side effects. A majority of brachytherapy side effects are similar to conventional radiotherapy but there are slight differences.

Several short term side effects for prostate cancer radiotherapy include tiredness, pubic hair loss, diarrhea and cystitis which can cause pain during urination. As for the long term side effects of prostate cancer radiotherapy include urinary incontinence and difficulties or inability to have an erection. On the other hand, brachytherapy is less likely to cause urinary incontinence compared to conventional radiotherapy.

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Understanding Breast Cancer Radiotherapy

May 31st, 2010

Even though radiotherapy is a standard treatment for most types of cancer, there are quite a few patients suffering from breast cancer that question the need for it after surgical removal of breast cancer tissues. It is a fact that around 30% of women that do not undergo radiotherapy experience cancer recurrence, even though they have gone through surgery to remove the cancerous tumor from their breast. Physicians often find it quite difficult to differentiate the healthy tissue around the cancer since it is somewhat complicated in measuring with detail the amounts of cancer cells. There is a possibility that there might be skip areas between cancerous tissues and tiny difficult to find satellite cancer tumors surrounding the area. It is also possible for cancer cells to travel via the breast duct system and develop outside the location of biopsy. Radiotherapy is very beneficial since it has a better likelihood of eradicating those random cancer cells developing outside the main breast cancer areas.

Radiotherapy is basically a cancer treatment that uses a specific machine called a linear accelerator. This machine transforms radioactive particles into beams of high energy radiation which is applied to specific areas of the body. When a specific tissue area is exposed to these radiation beams, the dividing cells in the cancerous areas are influenced more compared to resting normal cells. Subsequently, cancerous cells are more affected by radiation than healthy cells even though both types of cells experience radiation damage. Factually, normal healthy cells are more capable for self repair after being exposed to radiation compared to cancerous cells. Exposure to radiation causes cancerous cells to enter the cell death cycle or also known as apoptosis during the following cell division.

Physicians may recommend radiotherapy focused on areas of the chest after breast surgery or mastectomy if the breast cancer has infiltrated the surgical margins or if the cancer has metastasized into the lymph nodes. Administering radiotherapy increases the survival rate and significantly decreases the recurrence rate.

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Understanding the Various Techniques of Radiotherapy

May 31st, 2010

Radiation therapy or also known as radiotherapy is regularly used to treat cancer. Currently, along with surgery and chemotherapy, radiotherapy is a standard treatment protocol for various types of cancer. Though, compared to other types of treatment modalities such as surgery and chemotherapy, radiotherapy has the least amount of knowledge and understanding by a majority of the public. Basically, there are four variations or types of radiotherapy which are explained below.

First of all is the conventional and conformal therapy, this procedure is usually administered to simple and basic cancer cases. This technique uses single or double beam directions to irradiate a specific target area without the use of intricate shielding areas of the body that has not been affected by the cancer such as the spine or brain. The basic principal for this procedure is applying multiple radiation beam directions to focus as close as possible towards the target are subsequently delivering enough radiation dosage to the cancer area and simultaneously limit radiation exposure to healthy tissues close by. Three dimension anatomic data of the patient is essential for both conventional and conformal therapy techniques in order to obtain close distributions of the cancer area.

The following radiotherapy technique is Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy or IMRT for short. Currently, it is the most sophisticated radiotherapy technology available. This technique allows non uniform radiation beams to be irradiated onto the patient from any position of the radiation source thus optimizes radiation distribution in a composite dosage. Basically, the result of IMRT therapy is quite more significant compared to other radiotherapy techniques since it limits the exposure of healthy organs and tissue to radiotherapy exposure. This technique allows higher doses of radiations to be focused on the cancer cells without enhancing the side effects of radiation exposure. Subsequently, this increases the survival rate post cancer therapy.

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Alternative cancer treatments

December 27th, 2009

Alternative cancer treatments also called complementary treatments are non-traditional methods of diagnosing, preventing, or treating cancer. A good amount of cancer patients find these therapies as good alternatives to relieve side effects or symptoms, ease pain, and make their lives more comfortable during treatment.

Mind, body, and spirit alternative cancer treatments are non-traditional methods that promote optimistic attitude and a healthy spirit to give positive physical results. Mind-body medicine is founded on an area of care, Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI). It is the study of how the mind affects the body. Psycho, being the patient’s state of thinking, mood, and emotions while Neuro, being the neurological and neuroendocrine systems of the body. Immunology pertains to the patient’s cellular structure and immune system.

The spiritual well being is another important aspect of alternative cancer treatments as it is said to be an important part of daily life many cancer patients and may be a vital part that lets them cope with cancer and its treatments. Some cancer centers give importance to spiritual or pastoral care teams that provide spiritual support for patients and their family members where patients may include spiritual counseling as part of a comprehensive treatment plan.

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New Breast Cancer Treatment Options for Patients

December 25th, 2009

Among all other diseases, the most common disease that makes a number of women to suffer these days is the breast cancer. Not only that it makes women suffer but it is also increasing the number of womens death rate yearly. Because of this increasing rate, people who are experts when it comes to medicine have developed a lot of ways to examine if they have early stages of cancer to prevent it.

Aside from breast cancer examination, experts in the medical field tries to develop new treatment methods in order to help lower down womens death rate because of breast cancer. For more than several years, lumpectomies and mastectomies have been the undisputable way of treating cancer. However, they can have their own benefits and also disadvantages for women. As an example, lumpectomy will still need to require several days or weeks of post-operative treatments or procedures through radiation or therapy. Mastectomy on the other hand, has several complications during the operation.

But new treatments for breast cancer are already available in the market these days because of the advancement of medical sciences. Medicines have been developed in order to keep women safe from potential hazard from breast cancer.
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What is Lung Cancer Survival Rate

December 22nd, 2009

Two types of lung cancer are small cell lung cancers (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC). Non-small cell lung cancers are more often diagnosed. About 80 percent of lung cancer cases account to non-small cell lung cancers. They are divided into three types: adenocarcinomas, squamous cell carcinomas, and large cell carcinomas. Small cell lung cancers arise in the lung tissue. They spread more rapidly than most non-small cell lung cancers. About 20 percent of lung cancers account to small cell lung cancer.

Prognostic factors in non-small cell lung cancer include the presence of pulmonary symptoms, cancer size, histology, staging, the extent of metastases, and vascular invasion. Patients who are considered inoperable, have lower lung cancer survival rate. Such prognostic factors include performance status, gender, cancer stage, and involvement of the central nervous system (liver) upon diagnosis. Prognosis for non-small cell lung carcinoma is generally poor.

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what is Liver Cancer prognosis

December 17th, 2009

Liver cancer refers to malignant growths that arise in the liver. Cancer cells found in the liver that originated in another organ are called liver metastases. The liver is found below the right lung and under the ribcage. It is divided into two lobes: the right and the left. The liver obtains protein from the portal vein. The portal vein carries nutrient-rich blood from the intestines to the liver. The hepatic artery provides oxygen-rich blood to the liver.

Cancers that start in the liver are hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), hepatoblastoma, cholangiocarcinoma, and angiosarcoma and hemangiosarcoma. Hepatocellular carcinoma, normally diagnosed among younger individuals, contains variations of HCC and cholangiocarcinoma. Hepatoblastoma, normally diagnosed among children, is mostly a tumor form in the right lobe that can spread to other parts of the body. Cholangiocarcinoma or bile duct cancer start in the small tubes (bile ducts) that carry bile to the gallbladder. Angiosarcoma and hemangiosarcoma are rare forms of cancer that arise in the blood vessels which grow quickly and by the time they are found, they are too widespread to be removed making patients live shorter than a year in most cases.

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What is Adenocarcinoma lung cancer

December 12th, 2009

Non-small cell lung cancers are grouped together because they display similar prognosis and management options. These sub-types are adenocarcinoma lung cancer, squamous cell lung cancer, and large cell lung cancer.

Adenocarcinoma is a cancer that arises in a glandular tissue. The tissue is also part of a larger category, the epithelial. Adenocarcinomas, do not have to be part of the gland. As long as they have secretory properties, they can be classified as adenocarcinomas. Such form of carcinoma occurs in few higher mammals including man. Through biopsy, a pathologist determines if the tumor is an adenocarcinoma or another type of cancer. Adenocarcinoma can originate in many tissues of the body. Each gland does not secrete the same substance but for as long as there is an exocrine function to the cell, it is considered glandular. A malignant form therein is named “adenocarcinoma”. Abnormal tissue that is considered benign (not malignant) is called “adenoma”. Adenomas typically do not invade other tissues and rarely spread or metastasize as opposed to adenocarcinomas that invade other tissues and metastasize.

Adenocarcinoma lung cancer is the most common type of lung cancer in patients who have never smoked all their lives. It accounts to about 10 percent of lung cancers. Unlike small cell and squamous cell lung cancer, this cancer is commonly seen peripherally in the lungs. Smokers may also be diagnosed in smokers but not as usual as it would be found in non-smokers. In a biopsy, adenocarcinoma lung cancer tends to stain musin positive as it is derived from the lung glands that produce mucus. Well differentiated adenocarcinoma lung cancer resembles the normal glandular structure. Poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma lung cancer doesn’t resemble the normal glands.

A number of factors including the extent of the disease, general health condition, and metastases help determine the most appropriate cancer treatment combinations.

Conventional treatment options may be used to treat adenocarcinoma lung cancer. Surgery, radiation and chemotherapy are three common forms of cancer treatment that have been used for many years. For certain types of cancer cases, surgery is the most common way to remove tumor growths. Radiation therapy, which involves the use of high energy rays to kill or impede tumor growth, may be used in combination with other forms of cancer treatment. It is also an alternative when surgery cannot be an option. Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill or slow the growth of malignancies. It is often paired with other forms of cancer treatment. Doctors control how chemotherapy is administered to manage dosage allowing the patient to tolerate the side effects that are expected.

Immunotherapy or biotherapy, a less common treatment for adenocarcinoma lung cancer, uses the body’s immune system to fight the cancer or reduce the side effects of therapies. A physician can assess a particular cancer case and see if it may be an appropriate course of treatment for a patient.

In addition to a number of advanced conventional treatment options, alternative or complementary treatment for adenocarcinoma lung cancer may be available. These non-conventional are designed to create personalized treatment plans that help patients focus on healing. Examples of these therapies are geared toward nutrition, pain management, naturopathy, spiritual, mind-body, etc.

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