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10 Real Reasons People Dislike Radiation Treatment For Mesothelioma Radiation Treatment For Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma Radiation Treatment

Mesothelioma radiation treatment utilizes X-rays and other energy beams to shrink tumors and prevent them from growing or spreading. It is available at any stage of mesothelioma, either as a curative treatment to extend life or as a palliative treatment to relieve symptoms.

Radiation can also be used by surgeons prior to surgery to shrink the tumor, making it easier for surgeons. It is also possible to use it to eliminate any cancerous cells that remain after surgery, and to stop any recurrence.

External beam radiation therapy (EBRT)

Radiation therapy is the use of high-energy beams or X-ray particles to kill cancerous cell. It is difficult to target radiation mesothelioma tumors since they tend to be small, multiple areas of tissue. New methods enable doctors to more precisely target the tumor and minimize damage to other areas of the body. Radiation therapy can also be utilized after chemotherapy or surgery to eliminate any remaining cancerous cells. It can be administered by itself or as part of a palliative treatment to lessen mesothelioma-related symptoms like breathing difficulty and discomfort.

For external beam radiation therapy, doctors employ a device to direct radiation towards the mesothelioma tumor from outside the body of the patient. They first use the results of a CT scan, MRI or PET scan to pinpoint the exact location of the mesothelioma. They then design a plan to provide radiation to the site while limiting damage to surrounding tissue. The radiation oncologist could mark your skin with small dots to help them locate the site. They will also mark the treatment area that is the part that needs to be treated.

You'll lie on a treatment table, and the machine will place itself over the area of your body that is affected by mesothelioma. You might be asked to move around a few times during your treatment but you will not be able to feel or see the machine moving around you. During the procedure, you may hear clicks or whirring noises from the equipment. The radiation oncologist monitors you in an observation room.

EBRT is usually done every day for 5 days each week for between 2 and 8 weeks. You will receive a number of treatments based on the aim of your treatment and the type of radiation employed. Some types of EBRT, like intensity-modulated radiotherapy or IMRT makes use of computers to pinpoint the tumor and limit radiation exposure to surrounding tissues.

Other forms of radiation such as proton-beam radiation or SBRT use a particle instead of an X radiation. The proton beam radiation damages the DNA of cancer cells, causing them to die faster than normal cells. This type of treatment could be more precise than EBRT, but it is not yet commonly used for mesothelioma.

Intensity-modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)

Intensity modulated radiation therapy orients the radiation beams to the three-dimensional shape and size of the tumor using 3-D computed-tomography (CT). This allows for higher doses of radiation to be delivered to the tumor, while keeping the surrounding tissues and organs. In addition to pleural mesothelioma, IMRT is used to treat lung cancer, prostate cancer, sarcomas and head and neck tumors.

In studies of patients with tumours that are complex, IMRT produced superior dose distributions and less toxicity when compared with conventional radiation methods. Radiation oncologists employ IMRT to determine the best course of treatment for mesothelioma patients, and to make sure that the radiation is aimed at the appropriate part of the body. The radiation oncologist consults with the patient and obtains informed consent before deciding whether IMRT is appropriate for mesothelioma treatment.

Together, the radiation oncologist and medical physicist design an individual IMRT treatment plan for mesothelioma. The radiation therapists administer the IMRT treatment. During the sessions, patients lie on a table. Patients may hear sounds or smell odors coming from the equipment, but they should not feel pain. The medical physicist and radiation oncologist remain outside of the room to observe the procedure from a safe distance.

During the IMRT session the radiation oncologist is able to alter the intensity of radiation depending on the need to target the tumor. The radiation oncologist may also alter the intensity of the beams to safeguard vital structures such as the heart and large vessels.

At MSKCC, a group of radiation oncologists have been using IMRT to treat mesothelioma over the past decade. The results show that IMRT improves lungs function and longevity, and also reduces the risk of side effects such as radiation esophagitis or radiation pneumonitis. The mesothelioma cases studied had biopsy-proven mesothelioma pleural in the hemithorax. However, they were not candidates for resection or P/D due to diminished lung function. They were treated with IMRT to the hemithorax, with or without pleurectomy. In the group that received IMRT, overall survival was 71 % after one year. It was 53 % at two years.

Brachytherapy

Mesothelioma can be a deadly cancer radiation therapy kills cancerous cells. It also helps shrink tumors and make them easier to remove surgically. It is a specific treatment that uses narrow beams to prevent damaging healthy tissue around it.

Radiation therapy can be utilized by itself or with other types of treatment for cancer, such as chemotherapy. Many mesothelioma patients are also treated with chemotherapy in addition to decrease the chance that cancer will recur after surgery and make their treatment more efficient.

Brachytherapy is the procedure of inserting a radioactive material close to or inside a mesothelioma tumour. This allows doctors to deliver greater doses of radiation to tumor. Doctors can choose to use a 137Caesium or Iridium source for this treatment, which requires hospitalization. The patient is in a protected room with the source for 12-24 hours. The treatment could cause temporary adverse effects, like discomfort around the site of the implant and a small amount of bleeding in the area where the applicator is positioned.

Another alternative is High-dose (HDR) Brachytherapy that involves placing several radioactive sources around the tumor area and delivering higher doses of radiation over a longer period of time. This treatment usually takes three to five days and requires an overnight stay in a hospital. This type of brachytherapy could also have some short-term side effects. stage 4 mesothelioma treatment includes bleeding and soreness at the location where the applicators are placed.

It can be difficult to pinpoint radiation since mesothelioma can be a multi-layered cancer. Modern technology allows radiation therapists to pinpoint the tumor more precisely and avoid surrounding tissues.

In some cases mesothelioma sufferers may be given brachytherapy as a preoperative treatment called Neoadjuvant Therapy or as a post-surgical adjuvant treatment to kill any remaining mesothelioma cells that the surgeon was not able to fully remove. In addition, some mesothelioma patients are treated with brachytherapy alongside pleurectomy/decortication and conventional radiation therapy as a palliative treatment for their symptoms.

Proton beam radiation

Radiation oncologists focus on mesothelioma cancers in specific areas of the body. This type of treatment allows for an improved method of treatment and reduces the risk of exposing healthy tissues to high levels of radiation. Mesothelioma patients should discuss proton beam radiation therapy with their doctor to determine if it is the right treatment for them.

Radiation oncologists create a plan for treating cancerous tissue before starting the proton beam treatment. With the help of a computer program dosimetrists determine the precise amount of radiation that should be delivered to the region. The doctors also determine where in the body to deliver radiation and how far into the body it should travel. The dosimetrists send the information to a physicist who utilizes a device called synchrotron to accelerate protons until they attain the energy level required for treatment.

The protons are directed to the tumor by a system like a CT scanner after they reach the treatment room. The patient will be placed on a table that is adjusted to the size and shape of the tumors. The physicist then uses an instrument that rotates the beam's nozzle around the patient in order to ensure that the radiation is directed to all the areas of the tumor from the highest angles that are possible.

The proton beam is shaped and directed by a device referred to as a gantry. This device is enclosed by an immobilization frame that keeps the patient still while they are being treated. A computer controls the gantry which is monitored by a team of radiation technicians in an adjacent room. The radiation oncologist can change the treatment plan as needed during weekly appointments.


Contrary to conventional photon radiation, proton beam radiation doesn't penetrate the lung tissues as deeply. This means there is a lower chance of developing radiation-related complications, such as toxicity and the growth of mesothelioma tumors that are resistant to treatment.

The proton beam is utilized to target tumors of mesothelioma in the pleural linings of the abdomen and the lungs. It is important that patients consult mesothelioma specialists who have prior experience working using proton radiation.

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