Mesothelioma Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy, more commonly referred to as RT, is used to reduce the pain associated with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. Studies have shown that radiation alone cannot treat or cure mesothelioma patients and it also does not prolong survival for most mesothelioma patients. However, in combination with other therapies and treatments, radiation therapy can help to prolong survival and extend life expectancies. Doctors more commonly use RT with chemotherapy and surgery in attempts to shrink, kill or remove tumor cells. In cases where curative measures cannot be taken because a patient is in the later stages of the disease, doctors will use RT to ease the pain and suffering that is caused by mesothelioma.
Radiation Therapy Procedure
Radiation therapy is a rather straightforward procedure in which doctors apply ionizing radiation to tumorous cells which kills the cells and damages DNA. More than half of mesothelioma patients have experienced some benefit from the use of RT. It is important to note that RT cannot be used for all forms of mesothelioma, in particular, peritoneal mesothelioma. The abdominal area is affected with this type of mesothelioma. Many types of vital organs and tissues can be found in the abdomen and using radiation can actually be toxic to some of them, including the kidneys, liver, small intestine and others. Potential benefits of RT are limited for people with peritoneal mesothelioma.
Primary Role of Radiation Therapy
There are essentially two roles that radiation serves in the treatment of mesothelioma patients. On the one hand, RT can be a palliative treatment meant to relieve pain and suffering through the shrinking or killing of cancer cells. This can reduce the size of the cancer and relieve pressure in the chest and lungs. On the other hand, RT serves as seeding prevention. Seeding is essentially the recurrence of local tumors along tube and surgical incisions. Approximately 20 to 50 percent of mesothelioma patients experience seeding and even a small dose of RT can prove beneficial.
In the early stages of the disease, if RT is used in combination with chemotherapy and surgery, the chances of survival are increased dramatically. For those in the latter two stages, RT and chemotherapy are used primarily to improve life expectancies and relieve pain.
Radiation Side Effects
Side effects for radiation are often much more tolerable than with chemotherapy. However, side effects still occur though they might not be the same for each patient and may range in severity as well. Some acute side effects of radiation include nausea, fatigue, esophagitis and skin redness. There are also some long-term side effects that could occur that include liver radiation damage, radiation myelitis, cardiac damage and radiation pneumonitis. Most of these side effects will appear within six months of treatment. If they become intolerable, then doctors can find alternative treatment options.
Radiation Therapy Types
Doctors use three different types of radiation therapy on patients that have been proven effective in treating patients and sometimes elongating life expectancies. The three types of radiation therapy are: Brachytherapy, Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) and Three-Dimensional Radiation Therapy (3D-CRT).
Brachytherapy - This type of therapy is used probably less often than both IMRT and 3D-CRT but this is because it is still being researched. In the medical world, this type of therapy is often referred to as sealed source radiation therapy or interstitial radiation therapy. Basically, small radioactive rods (referred to as implants or seeds) are inserted into the area where the tumor is concentrated. High doses of radiation are provided in a small, concentrated area in a way that spares surrounding healthy tissue. For some patients, brachytherapy is used after an intensive procedure such as thoracentesis, thoracoscopy or biopsy.
Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy - IMRT involves non-uniform radiation beam intensities applied across the cancer and is a complex planning process. With reduced exposure to healthy tissue, IMRT provides wide cancer coverage though it is rather complicated to deliver. The kidney beneath the tumor often receives some radiation while the opposite lung and liver are spared from receiving radiation. Some doctors have recently begun using IMRT with other treatments such as extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) and chemotherapy for better results.
Three-Dimensional Radiation Therapy - Doctors are able to customize radiation doses for a three-dimensional cancer using detailed imaging scans of the patient. Using fixed beams, doctors are able to deliver the radiation directly to the tumor. 3D-CRT protects the kidneys much better than IMRT does and is also able to spare the heart and liver from receiving too much radiation.