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Increasing the dose of radiation during radiation therapy
Increasing the dose of radiation during radiation therapy
Even if the planning of radiation therapy go smoothly and you're ready to start treatment, the first day of exposure you can still feel some discomfort.
When you come to a course of radiotherapy you are given a gown in which you enter the room where the irradiation. You will be prompted to undress from the waist up and remove, if any, jewelry (chains, necklaces, pendants, etc.). Radiologist invites you to a room where the irradiation, and you take a stand - most often it is lying on his back with his hands behind his head upturned.
In most cases the patient during irradiation is fixed by special devices. If you are going through radiation therapy after mastectomy, the doctor usually puts on the skin of a flat material, like rubber, in order to improve the radiation dose.
Next, the doctor gently sets the linear accelerator for the irradiation of certain areas of the breast. Most of the time during the session, it takes exposure apparatus for setting exposure on certain areas of the breast. After the accelerator will be directed to the desired area, the doctor leaves the room. You may find that you were one, but it is not. A doctor supervises all through the video and see everything that happens in a room on the screen, and in addition, you can talk with him. Physician includes the device and begins radiation exposure. Since you can not feel radiation, the only ground on which you will find that irradiation began - a noise machine. During this time, you have to lie quietly and not move, but that does not mean, of course, you have to hold your breath. Duration of exposure can range from 30 seconds to several minutes, depending on the type and dose of radiation.
After that, the doctor walks into the room where you are and move the unit to another area of exposure of the breast. Usually, every day is irradiated two different areas of the breast. If, in the same irradiated adjacent lymph nodes may be added from one to three areas.
Although each situation has its own differences, all radiology centers are trying to work efficiently, so that the daily process of radiation therapy takes 15-30 minutes. Weekly X-rays are conducted irradiated areas. This is done with a view to double-check that the radiation is directed to the appropriate area.
Is there any effect of radiation
Typically, radiation therapy is assigned to kill all cancer cells that might remain in the breast after surgery (mastectomy or lumpectomy). And because cancer cells are very small and they can be seen only through a microscope, such as learn about what makes the effect of radiation is impossible. It is for that reason. That physically it is impossible to identify, radiation therapy should be carried out completely, as originally planned.
Test weekly x-rays help the doctor find out whether the radiation reaches the required fields. However, they can not give an answer to the question of whether there were more cancer cells and how they respond to radiation exposure. After treatment, the doctor regularly conducts diagnostic tests for the control of the irradiated area.
In cases where the irradiation is carried out in the field of metastasis is sometimes observed worsening of symptoms before they will subside. This is usually due to the fact that before you begin to shrink in size, metastasis little swells. This swelling can irritate nerves and cause pain. In this case, the doctor may prescribe regular painkillers or steroids.
Increasing the dose of radiation
So, for five - six weeks of radiation therapy will have all the irradiated breast. For one - the last two weeks you will receive an additional dose of radiation - now directly aimed at the spot where the tumor was removed. This so-called boost-dose. It usually is served with an external (the so-called remote) irradiation. But sometimes it happens and the internal boost-irradiation. This dose of radiation applied to the lower surface area. But before you undertake such exposure, requires a different tuning system.
Increasing the dose of radiation with external irradiation. Increasing the radiation dose of external irradiation is very similar to the usual exposure of the breast. In most cases, enhanced radiation dose for external radiation is applied in the form of electrons. This form of radiation is used because it penetrates deep. With this type of radiotherapy uses the same machine and you will have to be in the same position.
The increase in radiation dose internal radiation. Typically, internal exposure (called brachytherapy) is rarely used boost-dose. But in some cancer centers, and used this method. procedure is the same as mentioned in another section of MammoSite. In the place where the tumor was removed, a thin catheter is introduced from the canister into which a radioactive substance injected. Thus there is exposure of the tissues. Most often this procedure is carried out within 1 - 2 days. During this treatment the patient is in hospital, because her body is a radioactive substance. At this time, you will be severely limited contact with other people.
Avoid vitamins!
Radiologist may advise you to avoid taking certain vitamin complexes that contain vitamins C, A, D and E during the course of radiotherapy. This is due to the fact that vitamins may reduce the effectiveness of radiation therapy. Why is this so? The fact is that the effect of radiation on living cells is associated with the formation of these so-called free radicals - molecules that break down all organic compounds in them. Vitamins are also acting as antioxidants (antioxidants) neutralize the effect of radicals or prevent their occurrence. It is because of this potential conflict between the goal of radiation therapy and the use of antioxidants makes sense to stop taking vitamins on a course of radiotherapy. When radiation therapy is completed, you can safely continue taking vitamins.
