Radiotherapy Side Effects - Coursework Example

Radiotherapy Side Effects Radiotherapy Side Effects Introduction Radiotherapy is useful in the treatment of cancer tumors. However, it has several side effects associated with it. The severity of these side effects depends on the type of cancer, type of radiotherapy technique employed, and location of the tumor in the body. There are many side effects caused by these radiotherapy techniques. The current radiotherapy techniques aim, to not only kill the cancer cells, but also reduce the resultant side effects, some of which are so dangerous that can cause permanent disabilities and even death. This research paper explores how the current radiotherapy techniques reduce the side effects on patients in future. Malignant cancer is prone to occur anywhere in the body depending on where the radiations are concentrated. According to a research done by Patel and Arthur in their journal, “The emergence of advanced techniques for common malignancies”, the second cancer is curable, but prevention is possible when the radiologists are very keen on the first radiation using modern techniques. Malignant neoplasm can occur by, among others, radiation rays (Mundt et al. 2006, p 521). Radiotherapy takes place in the body of a cancer patient by two main methods. External beam radiation therapy is a type of radiation therapy where a radiologist uses an external machine to administer radiation dose to the tumors in the body of a cancer patient, while internal radiotherapy a doctor uses radioactive substances, either by injection or by ingestion into the blood and digestive system respectively (Gerszten & Ryu 2011, p. 4). Discussed below are the external methods of administering the radiations to the tumors. The 3D conformal radiation therapy is a technique recommended by radiologists for treatment of cancer tumor. It uses computer and other sophisticated devices to target the radiations to the tumors without affecting other healthy tissues. However, in some circumstances, this method may have some stray radiations landing on untargeted healthy cells. This then changes the ribonucleic acid in their nuclei. Eventually, the abnormal cells start forming leading to the formation of cancer cells. The cancer cells that form after a long time develop into new cancer on maturity. The new cancer is a second malignancy since it forms from the initial cancer. This becomes so expensive to the family of the patient. Besides, it adds suffering and pain to the patient and even death. Due to these side effects, the medical practitioners devised a more advanced radiotherapy technique called intensity-modulated radiation therapy. This radiotherapy technique uses special machines called collimators, which are mobile. The unique thing about them is that, they regulate the intensity and amount of the beam dose depending on the cells to which the collimators direct the radiations. It reduces the intensity of radiations when directed to the healthy cells reducing the effect on healthy cells. This technique is better in terms of side effects than the 3D conformal radiotherapy. This is according to the medical practitioners. These two radiotherapy techniques are similar in a manner that they both use radiations in treatment. On the other hand, the techniques are dissimilar in some ways. Intensity modulated radiotherapy has collimators, which move from place to place targeting the tumors while the 3D conformal radiotherapy is stationary. Besides, intensity modulated radiation therapy regulates the strength of radiations depending on extend of the effect of cancer on cells while 3D conformal modulated radiotherapy has no such mechanism. Hence, intensity modulated radiation therapy is preferred to 3D conformal radiotherapy for it reduces some side effects like damages to salivary glands, which is not possible with 3D modulated radiotherapy (Morris 2003, p. 130). Intensity modulated radiotheraoy uses collimators. According to kelin et al., 32 victims of breast cancer were treated and a follow up made. Of them, all none experienced a second malignancy. None had serious side effect either. It is safer as compared to 3D conformal radiotherapy. There is another radiotherapy technique called image guided radiation therapy, which takes image during treatment through scanning. These images help the radiographer to identify the position of the tumor and the size in order to be able to avoid stray radiations (Mary & Tracy 2002, p. 33). This is possible because the radiologist targets a known size of tumor through a computer. This method helps to control the radiations and the dose preventing them from falling on the healthy cells (Hall & Giaccia 2006, p. 310). This reduces second malignancies by avoiding damages to the healthy cells’ DNA. Compared to the previously discussed techniques, image guided radiation therapy is more safe in terms of side effects because the radiations are precisely targeted to the tumors, and the radiologist can use the image in the computer to regulate the radiations. According to Steven Reinberg, researchers reported that a 30-year study on patients who received radiotherapy, 9 percent of them diagnosed with second malignancies. He notes that, out of the 9 percent; about 8 percent of the patients developed the second cancer because of the initial radiotherapy. This means that the techniques of radiotherapy then were not as improvised as they are today (Lilian 2006, p. 50). Depending on the body part, that receives radiotherapy, second malignancies may or may not develop. Currently, before administering any radiotherapy treatment, a radio oncologist looks at the risks of treatment against the benefits to the patient. This enables the radio oncologist to decide on which patients that receives radiotherapy. In addition, clinical trials are on course to enable radiologists find ways of treating first cancers in a safe way. For breast cancer there is a technique to determine if radiotherapy application shall lead to positive effects that would outweigh the negative effects. The techniques include; primary tumor molecular profiling, whole body PET scans and CT scan, among others (Morris 2003, p. 140). These devices have the ability to survey the whole body of the patient just in case there could be another tumor hidden somewhere. The techniques also prevent the stray radiations that may cause second malignancies. They have really helped to relieve patients of repeated treatments from second malignancy. This also relieves the patient of severe pain associated with the tumors. The family members also save high costs of treatment. Fiducial markers used together with image-guided radiotherapy leads to an accurate targeting to tumor cells. Fiducial markers are in the form of gold particles implanted in and around the tumor tissue. They are then observable on images used to detect organ movement. Besides, a new technique is in place to reduce side effects especially second malignancy on patients undergoing radiotherapy (Lori 1999, p. 40). A study by researchers at Thomas Jefferson University confirms that the irradiated Planning Target Volume (PTV) for medium sized tumors was less, by 30% to 20%, than for small tumors, which had more than 50% of the irradiated PTV. For larger tumors, irradiated PTV was twice smaller as compared to that of the smaller tumors. According to Thomas Jefferson University, the new technique tracks the tumor and fixes it in a particular position. It then increases the amount of radiations onto the tumor whereas lessening the amount of radiation on the healthy tissues surrounding the tumor. In the body, there are many movable parts, and when there is a cancer tumor on them, they tend to change positions and shape (Tortori-Donati & Rossi 2005, p. 34). Examples are tumors in the heart, lungs and prostate glands. The new technology called 4D robotic technique has a machine that holds cancer tumor in a fixed position where the radiations are concentrated to it. At the same time, the stray radiations are locked from landing on the healthy cells. This reduces side effects especially second malignancy, which forms by deforming healthy cells. Compared to the techniques discussed earlier on, 4D robotic technique is the best in treatment and prevention of subsequent cancer infections because of radiation (Buzurovic et al. 2011, p. 1299). It reduces delays in tracking the tumors. This helps to rescue the patient of many radiations in the body due to delay, which may cause second malignancies. Besides, the patient heals faster, which relieves him or her of pain, cost and a lot of sorrow. It also reduces hospitalization period. In his research, Dr. Buzurovic states that the 4D robotic technique has an advantage of tracking the tumor movements in three-dimensional phase. He also says it reduces delays in tracking the tumors unlike the previously discussed techniques (Cooper & Panizzon 2004, p. 102). Dr. Dicker has also suggested that if doctors would stick to this method of cancer treatment, they will increase the concentration of radiations to the tumor and reduce radiations to the healthy cells (Meyer 2001, p. 12). A new research has reported that incorporating chemotherapy into radiotherapy does more good compared to a case in which there is radiotherapy alone. Claire Vale, a medical researcher, has stated in her report that, this method is effective and affordable. Besides, it has reduced recurrent of second cancers (Morris 2003, p. 114). In her research, 3,452 women were tested and revealed that 66 women out of 100 survived with chemo-radiotherapy compared to 60 women out of 100 women who survived with radiotherapy alone. This is clear implication that chemo-radiotherapy is safer from malignant cancer recurrence (Arnon 2001, p. 396). The research was conducted at an interval of 5 years. Vale observes that, the probability of a second cancer emerging with this technique of chemo-radiotherapy is negligible. This method is different from others discussed earlier since it uses both drug administration and x-rays in treatment of cancer, while in radiotherapy it is strictly x-ray treatment. The researchers recommend that this method was suitable to women with cervical cancer (Johnstone & Doris 2001, p. 20). In another new development, sophisticated computer modeling rotates the table with a patient on round slowly as it directs high intensity radiations to the cancer tumor. A research by Institute of Cancer Research London, conducted on four women with a variety of cancers on various organs, the sophisticated computer modeling is able to reduce radiations directed to healthy tissues by fifty percent. This then reduces the vulnerability of the patient to second malignancy by the same percentage (Julie 2009, p. 36). Willey Blackwel has also added that a radiotherapy with this technique, during breast cancer radiotherapy, the radiations penetrating into the heart reduce by fifty three percent as compared to the older radiotherapy that did not have the sophisticated computer modeling technique (Helparine et al. 2013, p. 11). I conclude by saying that it is advisable for cancer patients to seek proper medical advice prior to commencement of radiotherapy treatment. This is because of the risk of malignant cancer caused by radiotherapy. It is also very necessary for the radiologists to use latest techniques of radiotherapy so as to avoid adding sorrow to patients through side effects, particularly malignant neoplasm (malignant cancer). For instance, the doctors should adopt the new software developed by Dr. Peguret and colleague doctors, which helps them to know how fast the tumor shifts from place to place and its location. This will help to reduce the fields of radiation and their amount concerning tumors’ positions in the patient’s body (Wing-Fai et al. 2010, p. 234). Second malignancies are expensive to treat. Besides, they weaken patients reducing their lifespan, hence rendering them hopeless. The families of patients remain dedicating their resources to the hospitals and nursing the patient. The latest technologies in radiotherapy, however, are present only in few sites in first world countries, but research is on course to come up with safest and affordable radiotherapy techniques. References Arnon, J. Meirow, D. Lewis-Roness, H. & Ornoy, A. (2001) "Genetic and teratogenic effects of cancer treatments on gametes and embryos". Human Reproduction Update 7 (4): 394– 403. Buzurovic, I. Huang, K. Yu, Y. & Podder, T. (2011) “A robotic approach to 4D real-time tumor tracking for radiotherapy”. Physics in Medicine and Biology, (56): 1299. Cooper, JC. & Panizzon, RG. 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