There are a number of radiology warwick farm facilities and health centres in Mount Pritchard & Chipping Norton areas where radiation therapy or proton therapy are available, and the particular usage of either one of them often depends on the goal of treatment. Based on a study conducted in some of the other centres like Hoxton Park & Warwick Farm, roughly 50% of people with cancer undergo some form of radiation therapy.
External Beam Radiotherapy
In External Beam Radiation therapy, radiation from outside the body is applied to a table that resembles a CT scanner. It could be used:
- Before surgery, Neoadjuvant Radiation Therapy reduces tumour size
- After surgery (adjuvant radiation therapy), “clean” the remaining cancer cells and reduce the risk of their recurrence.
- As a palliative therapy to relieve pain (eg, bone metastases) or obstruction caused by the tumour.
Brachytherapy
Brachytherapy is similar to external beam radiation therapy, except that radiation is applied internally. It is often irradiated through beads inserted into the area during or after surgery.
Stereotactic Body Radioactive Therapy (SBRT)
Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) or Cyberknife refers to the procedure by which high doses of radiation are directed to a local area of tissue. Unlike traditional radiation therapy, SBRT is often used for “curing” purposes or with the expectation that it will cure cancer, rather than simply prolonging life or relieving symptoms. The SBRT may be used to treat small tumours as an alternative to surgery, especially in people who are not expected to tolerate surgery. It is also commonly used to treat metastatic areas such as Brain metastases from lung or breast cancer.
Proton Beam Therapy
Proton Beam therapy is similar to traditional radiation therapy but uses high-energy protons instead of photons and x-rays to damage the tumour. First used in 1990, it provides the same effects as radiation therapy.
Depending on the method of irradiation, it may be less likely to damage healthy tissue nearby. For this reason, proton therapy may be available in areas previously treated with radiation (and therefore cannot be retreated with conventional radiation).
Side Effects and Contraindications
X-rays and CT scans are a type of ionizing radiation that can knock out electrons from atoms and cause DNA damage, which can increase the risk of cancer.
This is more of a concern in procedures such as CT and Fluoroscopy than in plain X-rays, and more in children than in adults. In radiation therapy, it is important to weigh the risks and benefits of imaging and, if possible, consider possible alternatives.
It is important to discuss these with your doctor as various surgical procedures can also carry risks.
Before You Opt For Radiology Procedure
From the early stories of x-ray-related complications (before the dangers are known) to recent studies investigating the risk of cancer, the idea of receiving ionizing radiation can be horrifying. In most cases, the benefits of these radiology procedures outweigh the risks, but it is worth checking with a skilled and experienced doctor in Mount Pritchard or Chipping Norton, whatever seems convenient. In some cases, procedures such as ultrasound and MRI may give similar results without the use of radiation.
Many Radiology clinics across the country and even around Mount Pritchard or Chipping Norton have some excellent resources for patients and families. If you are interested, you can also check the suitability criteria for various scans and procedures.
For children, it is also advisable to check if the CT device is calibrated for the child. This is becoming the norm in most major medical centres, but it has the potential to be useful in the community. Some medical centres in radiology hoxton Park & Warwick Farm specialize in treating children with certain conditions using various Radiation therapies.
