Radiotherapy

Question 1

What is radiotherapy?

Answer 1

is the treatment of disease by ionising radiation.

Question 2

When is radiotherapy used?

Answer 2

• to treat malignancies
• shrink tumour
• reduce cancer returning after surgery
• control symptoms or to reduce pain if cancer is no longer treatable
• reduce the growth of cells in graves disease
• palliative radiotherapy

Question 3

What are the side effects of radiotherapy?

Answer 3

• tiredness (anaemia from destruction of erythrocytes)
• nausea and sickness ( especially on GI tract and brain)
• sore skin
• temporary hair loss in area
• muscle and joint pain (because of swelling of joints)
• infertility ( if on prostate or ovarian )

Question 4

Why is radiotherapy used in graves disease?

Answer 4

• reduce activity of thyroid glands by destroying cells

- less T3/T4 release

Question 5

What can ionising radiation do?

Answer 5

• can penetrate tissues
• alter the nuclear material ie. disrupting cell growth and reproduction
• damages cells causing apoptosis
• forms free radicals which can cause further damage to the inside of the cells

Question 6

Which radiation are more likely to cause tissue or cell damage because are more effective at producing ionisation?

Answer 6

ALPHA and GAMMA

- they are therefore the preferred treatment in comparison to BETA radiation or NEUTRONS for treating malignancies

Question 7

Which cancers is radiotherapy specifically used on ?

Answer 7

• brain
• skin
• prostate
• breast
• uterus

Question 8

What are the two types of radiotherapy?

Answer 8

EXTERNAL - supplied from outside the body

INTERNAL - utilizing radioactive implant placed inside the body

Question 9

What is hypofractionated radiotherapy and its benefits?

Answer 9

• increase dose of radiotherapy per fraction lower frequency of fractions. -reduction in side effects
• reduction in risk of it coming back

Question 10

What is hyperfractionated radiotherapy and its benefits?

Answer 10

increase frequency of fractions (more than once a day)

- treatment only takes 12 days rather than 4-6 weeks

Question 11

Stereotactic radiotherapy delivers treatments from many different points in the head. What does stereotactic radiotherapy treat?

Answer 11

• small round tumours usually found in the head
• benign conditions such as:
• pituitary adenomas
• acoustic neuromas
• growths at the base of the skull (meningiomas)

Question 12

Radiosurgery is a type of stereotactic radiotherapy. What does it entail?

Answer 12

• patients receive one single dose of radiation

- may be used if patients cant undergo surgery

Question 13

What are the side effects of radiosurgery?

Answer 13

• not suitable fore medium or large tumours
• ## damage to nerves

Question 14

Proton and ion beam radiation is a new radiotherapy. What does it do ?

Answer 14

• uses proton beams instead of ionising radiation

- these release a burst of energy then slow down

Question 15

What are the potential benefits of proton and ion beam radiation?

Answer 15

• less damage to surrounding tissue as don’t penetrate healthy tissues
• large dose reduces side effects