Radiation therapy: side effects. The course of radiation therapy: the consequences

Probably, there is no more terrible disease today than cancer. This illness does not look at either age or status. He ruthlessly mows everyone. Modern methods of treating tumors are quite effective if the disease was detected in the early stages. However, cancer treatment also has a negative side. For example, radiation therapy, the side effects of which sometimes have high health risks.

Benign and malignant tumors

A tumor is a pathological formation in tissues and organs that rapidly grows, causing deadly damage to organs and tissues. All neoplasms can be conditionally divided into benign and malignant.

Cells of benign tumors differ little from healthy cells. They grow slowly and do not spread further than their hearth. To treat them is much easier and easier. For the body they are not fatal.

Cells of malignant neoplasms are not similar in structure to normal healthy cells. Cancer grows rapidly, affecting other organs and tissues (metastasis).

Benign tumors of special discomfort to the patient do not cause. Malignant ones are accompanied by pain and general exhaustion of the body. The patient loses weight, appetite, interest in life.

Cancer develops in stages. The first and second stages have the most favorable prognosis. The third and fourth stages are the germination of the tumor into other organs and tissues, that is, the formation of metastases. Treatment at this stage is aimed at anesthetizing and prolonging life to the patient.

From such a disease as cancer, no one is insured. In the group of special risk are people:

• With a genetic predisposition.

• With weakened immunity.

• Leading the wrong way of life.

• Working on harmful working conditions.

• Received any mechanical injuries.

In order to prevent, you need to be examined once a year from the therapist and take tests. Those who are at risk, it is advisable to donate blood to oncomarkers. This analysis helps to recognize the cancer in the early stages.

How is cancer treated?

There are several ways to treat malignant tumors:

1. Surgery. The main method. It is used in those cases when onkoobrazovanie is not yet large enough, as well as when there is no metastases (early stages of the disease). Radiation or chemotherapy can be preliminarily performed.

2. Radiation therapy of tumors. Irradiation of cancer cells with a special device. This method is used as an independent, as well as in combination with other methods.

3. Chemotherapy. Treatment of cancer using chemicals. Used in combination with radiotherapy or with surgery to reduce the formation in size. It is also used to prevent metastasis.

4. Hormonotherapy. They are used to treat ovarian, prostate , breast and thyroid cancer .

The most effective for today is the surgical treatment of tumors. The operation has the least number of side effects and gives the patient a greater chance of a healthy life. However, the application of the method is not always possible. In such cases, other methods of treatment are used. The most common of which is radiation therapy. Adverse events after it even cause a lot of health problems, but the patient's chances of recovery are high.

Radiation therapy

It is also called radiotherapy. The method is based on the use of ionizing radiation, which absorbs a tumor and self-destruct. Unfortunately, not all oncogenes are sensitive to irradiation. Therefore, choose the method of therapy should be after a thorough examination and assessment of all risks for the patient.

Treatment of radiation therapy, although effective, but has a number of side effects. The main one is the destruction of healthy tissues and cells. Radiation affects not only the tumor, but also neighboring organs. A method of radiotherapy is prescribed in cases where the benefit to the patient is high.

For radiations, radium, cobalt, iridium, cesium are used. Doses of radiation are made individually and depend on the characteristics of the tumor.

How is radiation therapy performed?

Radiotherapy can be carried out in several ways:

1. Irradiation at a distance.

2. Contact irradiation.

3. Irradiation intracavitary (radioactive source is injected into the organ with neoplasm).

4. Irradiation is interstitial (the radioactive source is injected into the tumor itself).

Radiation therapy is used:

• After the operation (to remove the remnants of oncogenesis);

• Before surgery (to reduce the tumor in size);

• During the development of metastases;

• With relapses of the disease.

Thus, the method has three goals:

1. Radical - complete removal of the tumor.

2. Palliative - reduction of growth in size.

3. Symptomatic - elimination of pain symptoms.

Radiation therapy helps to heal many malignant tumors. With its help you can alleviate the suffering of the patient. And also prolong his life, when healing is impossible. For example, radiation therapy of the brain provides the patient with capacity, relieves pain and other unpleasant symptoms.

Whom is irradiation contraindicated?

As a method of fighting cancer, radiation therapy does not suit everyone. It is prescribed only in cases where the benefit to the patient is higher than the risk of complications. To a separate group of people, radiotherapy is generally contraindicated. These include patients who:

1. Pronounced anemia, cachexia (a sharp decline in strength and exhaustion).

2. There are diseases of the heart, blood vessels.

3. Contraindicated radiation therapy of the lungs with cancer pleurisy.

4. There is kidney failure, diabetes mellitus.

5. There are bleeding associated with the tumor.

6. There are multiple metastases with a deep germination in the organs and tissues.

7. In the blood, a low number of leukocytes and platelets.

8. Intolerance to radiation (radiation sickness).

For such patients, the course of radiotherapy is replaced by other methods - chemotherapy, surgery (if possible).

It should be noted that those who are exposed to irradiation may later suffer from side effects. Since ionizing rays damage not only the structure of cancer cells, but also healthy cells.

Side effects of radiation therapy

Radiation therapy is the strongest irradiation of the body with radioactive substances. In addition to the fact that this method is very effective in fighting cancer, it has a whole bunch of side effects.

Radiation therapy reviews of patients has a variety. In some cases, side effects appear after several procedures, while others do not. Anyway, any unpleasant phenomena will disappear after the end of the course of radiotherapy.

The most common consequences of the method are:

• Weakness, headache, dizziness, chills, fever.

• Disrupted work of the digestive system - nausea, diarrhea, constipation, vomiting.

• Change in blood composition, decrease in platelets and leukocytes.

• Increased number of heartbeats.

• Edema, dry skin, rashes in places of application of radiation.

• Hair loss, hearing loss, vision.

• Minor blood loss, provoked by the fragility of blood vessels.

This, as for the main negative points. After radiotherapy (complete course termination), the work of all organs and systems is restored.

Nutrition and the renewal of the body after irradiation

During the treatment of tumors, no matter what method, it is necessary to eat right and balanced. So you can avoid many unpleasant symptoms of the disease (nausea and vomiting), especially if a course of radiation therapy or chemistry is prescribed.

So:

1. Food should be taken often and in small portions.

2. Food should be varied, rich and fortified.

3. For a while, you should give up food that contains preservatives, as well as from salty, smoked and fatty foods.

4. It is necessary to limit the use of dairy products because of the possible intolerance of lactose.

5. Carbonated and alcoholic drinks are forbidden.

6. Preference should be given to fresh vegetables and fruits.

In addition to proper nutrition, the patient should adhere to such rules:

1. More rest, especially after the irradiation procedures themselves.

2. Do not take a hot bath, do not use hard sponges, tooth brushes, make-up.

3. More time to spend in the fresh air.

4. Lead a healthy lifestyle.

Radiation therapy reviews of patients has a variety. However, without it, successful cancer treatment is impossible. Adhering to simple rules, you can avoid many unpleasant consequences.

At what diseases are prescribed RT?

Radiotherapy is widely used in medicine to treat cancer and certain other diseases. The dose of irradiation depends on the severity of the disease and can be broken up for a week or more. One session lasts from 1 to 5 minutes. Radiation is used to fight tumors that do not contain fluid or cysts (skin cancer, cervical cancer, prostate and breast cancer, brain cancer, lung, and also in leukemia and lymphoma).

Most often, radiotherapy is prescribed after the operation or before it in order to reduce the tumor in size, and also kill the remnants of cancer cells. In addition to malignant tumors, radioactive diseases also treat diseases of the nervous system, bones and some others. Doses of radiation in such cases differ from oncological doses.

Repeated radiotherapy

Irradiation of cancer cells is accompanied by simultaneous irradiation and healthy cells. Side effects after RT are not pleasant phenomena. Of course, after the cancellation of the course after a while the body is restored. However, once a dose of radiation is received, healthy tissues can not bear repeated irradiation. In the case of tumor recurrence, the use of radiotherapy for the second time is possible in emergency cases and in lower doses. The procedure is prescribed when the benefit to the patient exceeds the risks and complications for his health.

If repeated exposure is contraindicated, the oncologist may prescribe hormone therapy or chemotherapy.

Radiation therapy in advanced stages of cancer

The method of radiotherapy is used not only to treat oncogenes, but also to prolong the life of the patient in the last stages of cancer, as well as to alleviate the symptoms of the disease.

When the tumor spreads to other tissues and organs (metastasis), there is no chance of recovery. The only thing that remains is to accept and wait for that "judgment day." In this case, radiotherapy:

• Reduces, and sometimes completely removes painful attacks.

• Reduces pressure on the nervous system, on the bones, maintains capacity.

• Reduces blood loss, if any.

Irradiation with metastases is assigned only to the sites of their spread. It should be remembered that radiation therapy has side effects is very different. Therefore, if the patient has a sharp depletion of the body and he can not withstand radiation doses, this method is not practiced.

Conclusion

The most terrible disease is cancer. The whole insidiousness of the disease is that it can not manifest itself in any way for many years and in just a couple of months it can bring a person to a lethal outcome. Therefore, for the purpose of prevention, it is important to periodically check with a specialist. Detection of the disease in the early stages always ends with complete healing. One of the effective methods of fighting cancer is radiation therapy. Side effects, although unpleasant, however, completely disappear after the cancellation of the course.