Radiotherapy

Question 1

What is radiotherapy?

Answer 1

Treatment of disease by ionising radiation

Question 2

What does radiotherapy do?

Answer 2

Penetrates tissues and alter the nuclear material, ie, DNA disrupting cell growth and reproduction

Damaging human cells causing apoptosis
Targets damaged cancer cells

Question 3

Alpha and gamma radiation

Answer 3

Increase of tissue damage

As it is more effective and powerful

Question 4

Uses of radiotherapy are

Answer 4

Treat cancer 
Shrink cancer 
Reduce cancer 
Control symptoms/ reduce pain
Reduce growth

Question 5

External radiotherapy

Answer 5

Given over 7 days
Mark targeted on body
Pts lays for 5mins and painless

Question 6

Conformal radiotherapy CRT

Answer 6

Routinely for prostate cancer

Question 7

Internal radiotherapy

Answer 7

Radioactive 
Wires 
Seeds (perm)
IV or liquid
Short stay in hosp

Question 8

IV/ liquid internal

Answer 8

Strontium 89
Samarium 153
Iodine
Radium

Question 9

Effects of radiotherapy

Answer 9

Damage to healthy cells
Dependent on area
Dose of radiation
Psychical well being at the time

Tiredness = anaemia
Bone marrow effect
Diarrhoea
Less 02 carrying

N+V= prescribe anti emetic, anti his, antag

Sore skin
Hair loss
Muscle and joint pain
Fertility

Question 10

Radiotherapy and the thyroid gland

Answer 10

Graves’ disease
Decrease activity of TG by destroying cells
Less t3 t4 release

Question 11

Future radiation

Answer 11

Hypofraction

Hyperfraction

Question 12

Hyper fraction radiation

Answer 12

High freq of fractions more in one day

12 days rather than 4-6 weeks

Question 13

Hypo fraction radiation

Answer 13

Decrease in total amount of radiotherapy received

Assess reeducation in side effects and reduction in risk of recurrence of the cancer

Question 14

Stereotactic radiotherapy

Answer 14

Treat small brain tumours