Lung Cancer Treatment – Radiation

In many lung cancer cases, surgery is not an option. This may be because of the advanced stage of the cancer, the location of the tumor or tumors, or because of the overall general health of the patient. In those cases, the oncologist may suggest radiation therapy. Even if surgery is an option, the doctor may suggest irradiation either before therapy to shrink the tumor or after surgery to destroy any remaining cancer cells.

What Is Radiation Therapy?
In radiation therapy – or radiotherapy – high-powered x-rays are beamed at the location of the cancer to destroy the rapidly dividing cells. The radiation will kill off both healthy and cancerous cells in that location, but there are methods of delivering the radiation that minimize the side effects on healthy cells.

Most radiotherapy is external beam therapy (EBT), in which a highly focused beam of radiation is aimed directly at the edges of the tumor site. Because of its concentration, EBT minimizes the chance of damaging healthy cells. EBT will often be delivered in ‘fractions’ – short durations of radiation spread over several weeks. The most recent studies suggest that the best effects are had when there are more frequent, shorter fractions instead of larger fractions spread out over a longer period of time. Discuss which is the best timing for you with your doctor.

Another type of radiation therapy is conformal radiation therapy, in which a CAT scan helps to create a 3-D image of the tumor and shape the x-ray beams exactly to the size and shape of the tumor. When conformal radiation therapy is used, the damage to surrounding tissues is nearly completely eliminated. Intensity modulated radiation therapy is an advanced form of precision radiation therapy that works with a CAT scan to target only the cancerous cells. It can be fine-tuned to only affect certain areas of the tumor.

Sometimes radiation therapy is used to relieve the symptoms of lung cancer, even if it won’t cure the cancer on its own. It may be prescribed before or after surgery, and be designed to shrink the tumor, or make it less active. Instead of using an external beam in those cases, a doctor may recommend brachytherapy, a procedure in which the surgeon implants small, radioactive seeds directly at the site of the cancer. Brachytherapy can help stop bleeding in tumors, and open up blocked airways by reducing the size of tumors blocking the bronchi or windpipe.

Radiotherapy is seldom recommended as the sole treatment for lung cancer. If there is any suspicion that the cancer may have spread – as is often the case in small cell lung cancer – your oncologist will probably also recommend a course of chemotherapy, either before, after or concurrent with the radiotherapy. Because radiotherapy is localized – the beam is focused directly at the cancerous cells – using it in conjunction with chemotherapy usually offers a better chance at clearing up lung cancer completely and preventing a recurrence.

Lung Cancer Related Articles

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