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One of the main methods of combating malignant neoplasms is the treatment of lung cancer with radiation therapy. The advantages of this method lies in its efficiency and safety.
Operating principle
Radiation therapy, also known as radiotherapy, is based on the use of high-energy radiation to fight cancer. This. currently a common technique used by radiation oncologists to completely get rid of the disease, relieve pain and symptoms caused by the neoplasm.
Irradiation of a cancerous tumor disrupts the reproductive functions of cells, that is, they do not multiply.
Radiation therapy kills cancer cells by interfering with their DNA structure, resulting in an inability to grow and reproduce. Today, radiotherapy is an effective method of combating neoplasms.
The sensitivity of tumor cells to radiation is explained by:
The rate of division (faster than healthy cells);
Inability to repair damage.
Radiation therapy for small cell lung cancer
Radiotherapy for this type of disease is the most used method of fighting a tumor, both as an independent method and simultaneously with chemotherapy.
In oncology clinics, such treatment is used before or after surgery. Radiation therapy may be given after chemotherapy.
The impact of radiotherapy in combination with other methods is able to overcome small cell cancer, but gives side effects.
Effects of radiotherapy in lung cancer
Side effects with radiation therapy are considered to be expected and disappear after a while. Here are some of the aftermath of the course:
Chest pain;
General fatigue;
Cough with expectoration;
After 15-20 days after irradiation – heartburn, difficulty in swallowing.
Hair loss is possible.
All the effects of treating small cell cancer with radiotherapy soon disappear. But if they still bother the patient after a certain period, a consultation with an oncologist is needed.
Types of radiotherapy
For radiation treatment of lung cancer, the following main types are usually used:
Remote (external). The source of radiation in this case is located at a small distance from the patient, and the rays are projected to the intended location of the tumor;
internal radiotherapy. The radiation source has contact with a cancerous tumor;
Systemic radiotherapy. It involves irradiation of the whole body and is used when there is a suspicion of an associated blood cancer.
To date, there is controversy about the effectiveness of radiation therapy for lung cancer. However, US scientists have concluded that radiotherapy can significantly reduce the number of undesirable consequences of lung cancer chemotherapy and the number of deaths in the treatment of small cell cancer.