Radiotherapy Flashcards
how is radiotherapy more commonly given
in multi-modality treatment
what is radiotherapy
the use of ionising radiation to treat cancer
what type of cancers are treated with radiotherapy
most solid malignancies and some liquid
how many cancer patients get R/T
50-60%
how many patients are cured by R/T
40%
what types of ionising radiation afterused
X-rays, gamma rays, beta particles, alpha particles, neutrons and protons
what radiation is used in conventional external beam R/T
X rays
how was radiation originally deliviered
one big dose, had lots of severe side effects
what is fractionated radiotherapy
many smaller doses of radiation for many weeks (up to 7 for more resistant cancers like head and neck)
what equipment delivers R/T
linear accelerators (LINACS)
what happens in the treatment planning
immobilisation, MRI and CT, image fusion, volume delineation, Treatment planning, plan verification, pre-treatment imaging, treatment (30secs)
what is image fusion good for
finding tumour and any other damaged tissue
what is the conventional fraction for breast cancer treatment
50Gy (2 Gy x 25) +/- lumpectomy cavity boost
what is the hypofractionation for breast cancer treatment
42.5 Gy (2.66 Gy x 16 fractions), 40Gy (2.66 x 15 fractions)
what is accelerated radiotherapy
schedule in which the rate of dose -accumulation exceeds 10Gy/week
what is Hyperfractionation
ant schedule employing a dose per fraction of less than 1.8Gy
why is radiotherapy given (5)
- curative intent
- shrink cancer before surgery
- to reduce risk of recurrence post surgery
- to complement chemo
- to control symptoms and increase QoL (palliative)
what does neoadjuvant mean
given before surgery
what does adjuvant mean
given after surgery