Outdoor teletherapy

Outdoor Remote Radiotherapy involves irradiating the affected area of ​​a beam of photons (X-rays or gamma rays). Photon - the basic unit of light and other forms of electromagnetic radiation, which can be regarded as a bundle of energy. The stock of the photon energy can be different: for example, the gamma-ray photons have the greatest amount of energy and photons of X-rays - a much smaller amount of energy.

The course of external beam therapy involves daily sessions over several weeks. Duration of treatment depends on many factors, including the total dose. Typically, radiation therapy takes place over several weeks, 5 days a week. Every day, the patient receives a dose of 1-2. In most cases for the treatment of cancer by radiotherapy distance A 1 dose per day, to minimize damage to healthy tissue.

Internal radiation therapy

Internal radiation therapy (brachytherapy) - a method of treatment involving the administration of a radioactive substance. Brachytherapy includes several different kinds of treatment. For example, interstitial brachytherapy (interstitial brachytherapy) involves the placement of radioactive materials directly to the tumor tissue - for example, in the case of prostate cancer Prostate Cancer - enough to remove the tumor? . Intracavitary brachytherapy involves administering certain radioisotopes in the body cavity in the vicinity of the tumor - for example, in the chest. The introduction of radioactive substances into the body is carried out by various medical instruments - needles or catheters. The radiation from the decay of radioactive substances destroys cancer cells. Over time radioisotopes disintegrate completely.

Brachytherapy involves large doses of radiation, and less damage to healthy tissue around the tumor than conventional external beam radiotherapy. In some cases, brachytherapy is used in conjunction with remote radiotherapy.

Systemic radiation therapy

Systemic radiotherapy involves the introduction into the esophagus, or directly into the bloodstream of radioactive substances - such as radioactive iodine - or a radioactive substance attached to a monoclonal antibody. Radioactive iodine - the most common radioisotope used in systemic radiotherapy, in particular for the treatment of certain types of thyroid cancer The thyroid gland - is responsible for your hormones . The monoclonal antibody helps to direct the radioactive material into the lesion.

When is radiation therapy?

Radiotherapy may be used both before and after surgery to remove the cancer. Furthermore, in some cases, the procedure involves the use of treating cancer without surgery or radiotherapy in combination with chemotherapy Chemotherapy - it always falls the hair? . During the course of radiotherapy depends upon the type of cancer, and other factors.

Radiotherapy before surgery aims in the first place, for the partial destruction of the tumor to facilitate its removal by surgery. Furthermore, such a preliminary course of radiotherapy reduced the risk of cancer recurrence after surgery.

The combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, chemoradiotherapy so called, is used to treat certain types of cancer, but can cause more severe side effects.

Potential side effects of radiation therapy

Radiation therapy can cause both acute and chronic, i.e. long-term side effects. Acute side effects are already observed during treatment, and chronic can appear months or even years after treatment. Side effects of radiation therapy depend on the area of ​​the body exposed to radiation, the daily doses, total dose, the general health of the patient and other factors.

Acute side effects - the result of radiation damage to healthy cells around the affected area. Some of these effects include fatigue, nausea Nausea - there may be problems with the nervous system , Skin irritation, hair loss, problems with urination. Most acute side effects disappear after treatment, but some (such as damage to the salivary glands) can be permanent.

Some of the most common chronic side effects of radiation therapy include:

• Fibrosis (proliferation of fibrous connective tissue).
• Damage to the intestines, causing diarrhea and bleeding.
• Memory loss.
• Infertility.
• In rare cases - the second of cancers caused by radiation.

Liver cancer can arise from many different causes. But the main predisposing factor for the occurrence of this disease is cirrhosis of the liver - the replacement of liver tissue by connective tissue as a result of a serious illness or some toxic effects, such as the regular use of alcohol.

Causes of liver cancer

Liver cancer can occur in the background of cirrhosis, parasitic infestations, severe hepatitis, alcohol abuse. The incidence of liver cancer varies between countries that may be associated with the peculiarities of life, climate, national peculiarities of nutrition, all sorts of diseases (including viral) or parasitic infestations in the area, a genetic predisposition. For example, in several countries in South-East Asia and Africa, liver cancer makes up half of all malignant tumors. In most developed countries liver cancer occurs much less frequently, usually accounting for no more than 3% of all cancers.

Developing liver cancer, usually after forty years, more frequently in men than in women. There are gnarled, massive and diffuse (spread over the whole body) form of tumor growth. Nodosum is the most common form and is characterized by single or multiple nodes of various sizes. Around the major components can be placed small metastatic nodules. When the massive form of liver cancer, a large tumor site usually takes the right lobe of the liver. Diffuse form is manifested scattered throughout the tissues of the liver tumor nodules.

Metastatic liver cancer are characterized by intrahepatic seeding. Often affects hepatic lymph nodes at the gates of the liver (liver gate - a place of entry and exit of blood and lymph vessels and bile ducts).

As shown

Manifestations of liver cancer are varied. Characteristically imperceptible beginning, the absence of clear signs of the disease and its rapid development. Persistent symptoms of liver cancer are weakness, weight loss, decreased performance. Often there is a lack of appetite, nausea, Nausea - there may be problems with the nervous system , Vomiting, fever. From the local manifestations characterized by a feeling of heaviness, distention and pain in the right upper quadrant in the upper abdomen, enlarged liver. When probing the tumor, tenderness in the upper abdomen. Later, signs of the disease are mild jaundice, enlargement of the superficial veins of the anterior abdominal wall, the appearance of large amounts of fluid in the abdomen (ascites), sometimes increases the spleen.

When the diffuse form of liver cancer symptoms are caused by the tumor, as if superimposed on signs of cirrhosis. The liver in these cases increased slightly, and the tumor is not detectable. Observed anemia, ascites, progressive weight loss.

Timely detection of liver cancer is very difficult. This is due to its lack of clear signs of cancer on the background of the previous diseases and large compensatory capacity of the liver (liver tissue changes even for a long time to perform its functions). The most important, but late symptoms of cancer Fifteen signs of cancer that women ignore   Liver is its progressive increase, hard and uneven surface of the liver, which is determined at a palpation, ascites and intra-abdominal bleeding.

Identify liver cancer allow radioisotope and ultrasound diagnostics, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In some cases, for diagnostic purposes is performed endoscopic surgery (laparoscopy) from taking a piece of liver tissue for testing. Confirms the diagnosis and laboratory tests: blood of patients show anemia, leukocytosis Leukocytosis - when there are too many white blood cells , Accelerated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and signs of liver dysfunction.

Medical intervention

Treatment of liver cancer usually combined. Radical surgery should include not only the removal of the tumor, but resection of the liver. To perform a resection is important that the tumor has not reached the gates of the liver. Conditions for resection are considered unfavorable, if the tumor is located deep in the liver tissue. In some cases, a liver transplant.

After surgery, radiation therapy is performed. Also, receive chemotherapy Chemotherapy - it always falls the hair? : Drugs that suppress tumor development, is placed directly into a vein or artery of the liver when catheterization. In this vein can be administered and means improving liver function.

Contraindication for liver resection are scattered its destruction, the spread of the tumor at the gate of the liver, acute for cancer, severe liver dysfunction.

The prognosis of adverse liver cancer, as this disease is rarely possible to identify at an early stage. When a liver transplant may cure.

Galina Romanenko