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Avail of radiation therapy Cancer is a lifestyle disease that is found all over the world now. It is the abnormal growth of white blood cells in a part of the body, in the form of a tumour. There are many reasons that can be attributed to the growth of cancerous cells. Smoking, living in an area with low ozone protection, too much exposure to carcinogenic materials can cause cancer. It is generally incurable, but if detected at a very nascent stage, it can be cured. What should one do if they suspect cancer? Tumours are of two types- malignant and benign. Cancerous tumours are of the malignant types. This can be understood only if a biopsy test is conducted. After confirmation of cancer, treatment for cancer can be undertaken in the following way: • Chemotherapy • Cancer radiation therapy • Surgical removal Surgical removal is not a very encouraging method for removing cancerous cells, because the knife cannot remove all the cancerous cells and by the time it is detected, the cells have already grown manifold. Chemotherapy leads to excess side effects like excess loss of normal cells, so people most opt for cancer radiation therapy. Before cancer radiation therapy is undertaken, an MRI or CT scan is done to locate the cancerous cells. Radiation therapy helps to reduce the size of a tumour especially on the spine or oesophagus and it also prevents the metastases of the cancerous cells. Radiation therapy is administered in the following ways: • A machine administers the rays. • A canister containing the radioactive material is placed in the area, which spreads the radiation to destroy these cells. Different units of radiation, measured in Gray (Gy), which is the amount of radiation absorbed by 1kg of human flesh, by the radiation oncologist. The rays that are administered are X-Rays or Gamma Rays. Machines like LINAC, 3D-CRT, Image-guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) and intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) are used to administer the rays. Interstitial Brachytherapy is the name of the therapy in which a container which has radioactive isotopes is inserted among the cancerous cells. The external administration of radiation does not make a patient radioactive and if isotopes are introduced in the body, then the radioactivity remains in the body as long as the isotope is within the body. Once it is removed or it decays, there is not radioactivity in the patient’s body. Cancer radiation therapy does have its side effects. It leads to the destruction of normal tissues and gives rise to scar tissues. It can also lead to diarrhoea and bleeding and infertility and in extreme cases, rise in a second cancer. Where do I get cancer treatment? There are many cancer treatment centers in the country and they have an experienced panel of oncologists and advanced equipment to administer radiation therapy along with chemotherapy. There are active cancer treatment centers on both the East and West coast. Hospitals in Philadelphia, Zion in Illinois, Tulsa in Oklahoma and Goodyear in Arizona offer quality cancer treatment. One should immediately start their treatment for cancer to stall the process of decay. Devid Hussain is an expert author who writes on various topics with an interesting pitch. Get more information about cancer radiation therapy.
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