Cara: Thank you. Would you tell us how external beam radiation therapy works? Ross: Sure, Cara. It's a common cancer treatment that uses high doses of radiation to destroy cancer cells and shrink tumors.
A large machine aims radiation at the cancer. The machine moves around you, without touching you. We can visit the treatment room later, if you're interested. Cara: Okay, thanks. I also wondered if this treatment would make me radioactive, and does it hurt? Ross: No, it won't make you radioactive, so it's safe to be around people.
And the treatment itself doesn't hurt. Ross: The length of treatment for each person depends on the type and stage of the cancer. Most courses of treatment take 2 to 10 weeks. And it's usually done in an outpatient center, so no overnight hospital stays. Ross: People generally come in for treatment once a day for 5 days in a row.
Ross: You probably will have some side effects. The side effects you may have depend on the part of your body being treated. Side effects happen because radiation can injure healthy cells that are near the cancer cells it is destroying. We'll talk in a lot more detail during your next visit about specific side effects and how to manage them. Cara: What are the next steps if I decide to get external beam radiation therapy?
Ross: We'll make another, longer appointment for a checkup and to go through your complete medical history. Cara: That sounds good. Thanks for answering my questions, Dr.
I'm gonna go home and talk things over with the rest of my family. Ross: That sounds good. Now that you have a basic understanding of what external beam radiation therapy is, let's talk more about your treatment plan. Narrator Summary: External beam radiation therapy uses high doses of radiation to destroy cancer cells and shrink tumors. Most treatments last from 2 to 10 weeks. People usually receive treatment once a day for 5 days in a row.
People often have some side effects from treatment. They usually happen because radiation therapy can injure healthy cells that are near the cancer cells it is destroying.
Side effects depend on the part of your body being treated. It's important to keep in mind that they differ in degree from person to person. During a follow-up appointment with your doctor, you will have a checkup and go through your complete medical history.
Talk with your doctor to learn more about your treatment goals and plan and how to manage any side effects you may have.
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Which cancers can be treated with IMRT? How is IMRT given? How long do IMRT sessions generally last? How many treatments do I need? What are the benefits of IMRT? Next What Is Proton Therapy? It typically uses three to five treatments to deliver very high doses of radiation to patients with localized, early-stage lung cancer who cannot have surgery.
Most often, radiation therapy uses the external beam technique, which aims a beam of x-rays or protons directly at the tumor. Treatment is given in a series of sessions over six to seven weeks. Three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy or intensity-modulated radiation therapy IMRT use a 3-D image of the tumor taken with CT scanning.
This image serves as the target for a high-dose radiation beam that can change in shape and size to match the tumor. This method minimizes radiation exposure of nearby normal lung tissue. Proton therapy uses protons instead of x-rays. Protons can pass through healthy tissue without damaging it. Doctors use systemic therapies to treat cancer that has already or is likely to spread throughout the body.
Radiation therapy combined with chemotherapy and immunotherapy treats disease that has already spread to the lymph nodes. Occasionally, surgery may be done before chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
They may also use radiation therapy to consolidate any residual disease after systemic treatment and to relieve symptoms. Selection of the best treatment is frequently based on specific genetic tests done on tumor cells removed during a biopsy. Chemotherapy uses drugs that kill cancer cells.
Patients usually receive chemotherapy by direct injection into a vein or through a catheter placed in a large vein. Doctors often give chemotherapy after surgery to eliminate microscopic disease.
Chemotherapy also may slow tumor growth and relieve symptoms in patients who cannot have surgery. Doctors are investigating newer biologic agents, which may have fewer side effects than chemotherapy and be just as effective. Chemotherapy treats all stages of lung cancer. It can prolong life even in elderly persons if they are in good general health. Some chemotherapy drugs increase the effectiveness of radiation treatment. Others keep the tumor cells at a stage where radiation treatment is more effective.
There is growing evidence that a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy is more effective than radiotherapy alone. However, there is a substantial risk of serious side effects.
Chemotherapy may cause significant side effects. These include nausea with vomiting and damage to the white blood cells that fight infection. However, there are ways to counter and treat most of these side effects. Targeted therapy uses man-made molecules called monoclonal antibodies. Natural antibodies attack invading foreign substances, such as bacteria and viruses. Monoclonal antibodies act like natural antibodies by recognizing and binding to the surface of cancer cells.
Your doctor may combine them with a chemotherapy drug or radioactive material. This allows the antibody to deliver the cancer-killing agent directly to the cancer cell. This type of therapy depends on the identification of markers on the surface of tumor cells. Radiotherapy or chemotherapy may help to reduce pain or other symptoms for disease recurrence or disease that persists after initial treatment. Radiotherapy or laser treatment can keep the airways open, allowing the patient to breathe more freely.
In fact, an increasing number of patients are being treated with a non-surgical approach across all stages of this disease. Treatment effectiveness depends on the stage of disease. In early stage inoperable disease that is treated with radiotherapy alone, control of the local disease is typical.
In more advanced disease, a combination of chemotherapy and radiation is delivered with curative intent. There are two main types of radiation therapy used at the Comprehensive Brain Tumor Center to treat metastatic brain tumors:.
With either type of radiation therapy, you will probably need follow-up appointments. This is the best way to detect any new disease early so it can be treated effectively right away. Your medical team will consider many factors before discussing this treatment option with you. At Johns Hopkins, your care team is made up of some of the best medical oncologists, radiation therapists and neurosurgeons in the country.
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