Importance Of Radiation Therapy

Radiation is a special therapy for cancer patients that uses X-rays that are of high energy and are capable of killing deadly cancer cells. Most commonly, the rays are used to treat brain, breast, cervix, lung, prostate, eye, rectum, and neck cancers. These rays are potent and help shrink tumours that share a threat of future cancers or cancer spreads.

Here are some of the significant importance of these therapies and how you can get benefited from them:

• It helps stop cancer cells from spreading further and damaging organs.
• The intense rays can kill cancer cells, preventing them from growing or spreading.
• Such therapies are also used in curing cancers that have returned.
• It is majorly beneficial in treating the early signs of cancer.
• It also helps in shrinking tumours that may turn into cancers.

Radiation Therapies Depend On:

It depends on many factors and medical conditions such as:

• Size and type of tumours
• Cancer’s type
• Location of cancers
• Type of treatment required
• A brief medical history
• Sensitivity to radiation
• Age of the patients

Concerning all these factors, doctors proceed with cancer treatments mainly with the help of radiation therapies.

Types Of Radiation Therapy

There are mainly three different types of radiation therapy, and each of them shares another purpose:

1. Internal Radiation: A type of therapy also known as brachytherapy. In this process, the radiation is taken internally through radioactive implants. The process takes place with the help of a tube called a ‘catheter’ and a device known as an ‘applicator.’
2. External Beam: This is the therapy where the rays are provided externally into the body focusing on the area of cancer. It can be the breast, head, neck, or any external area.
3. Systemic Radiation: In this type of treatment, a doctor generally provides the patient with radioactive drugs orally or by inserting them through veins to treat cancer and kill cancer cells.

Common Side Effects

Although the side effects vary from person to person, the most common side effects of radiation therapies can be:

• Sudden hair loss
• Soreness in the throat or mouth
• Dry mouth
• Difficulty in swallowing food
• Fatigue
• Feeling nauseous
• Bladder symptoms
• A blurry vision
• Skin changes
• Suffering from an upset bowel

These common side effects can be managed with proper medications. The complete hair loss condition is temporary as people, after completing their treatments, do grow their hair back. And hair loss is only shared amongst people who receive rays on their head or skull. Only the parts that come into focus during treatments have soreness or get red.

Final Words

Cancer is a disease that can never be neglected, and to return to everyday life, beginning the treatments as early as possible is necessary. Delays in receiving proper treatments can worsen a person’s health because cancer cells are prone to spread rapidly. And these rapid spreads can only be prevented through certain rays.

Such treatments, for years, have saved millions of lives across the globe. Because of these advancements in therapies today, numerous people can smile and lead a normal life like before. A specialist and a few therapy sessions are all it takes to fight against all the odds.