Radiotherapy Flashcards
In which three ways can radiation be delivered?
- External beam radiotherapy
- Radiation directly applied to the tumour (brachytherapy, use of needles)
- Radioactive tablets/injections (least common, can be used in thyroid cancer)
In which two ways can radiotherapy damage cells?
- Direct damage
2. Indirect damage (through water and creation of radicals)
What is the measurement used for radiation?
Gray= Gy
Name three modes of cellular death through radiation
Apoptosis, necrosis, mitotic catastrophe
Explain the concept of fractionation?
Splitting of radiation course into smaller bouts to allow time for normal cells that receive a smaller dose of the radiotherapy to repair the damage as these cells have the capacity to do this while the cancerous cells with highest dosage do not.
In which group of people are you most worried about secondary cancers forming as a result of radiotherapy?
Younger patients
Which size of tumours respond better to radiotherapy?
Small tumours
Can a cancer be diagnosed with imaging alone?
No, it’s not cancer until you have biopsied the mass
How can radiotherapy side effects be divided?
Early (<3 months) and late (>3 months)
What are early and late side effects of breast radiotherapy?
Always thinking about site of radiation, the SE will be local to the localised area. In this case, obvious early SE will be skin erythema, breast swelling/pain. Late effects include lung fibrosis, cardiac complications if L sided, and arm swelling if treating axilla. Secondary malignancies may also arise
What are early/late side effects of radiotherapy for neck tumour?
Early- Skin erythema, loss of taste, dysphagia, mucositis. Late- dry mouth, dysphagia, secondary malignancies
What are early/late side effects of radiotherapy for cord tumour?
Early- skin erythema, oesophagitis
Late- Skin fibrosis, myelopathy
