Radiation therapy uses high energy X-rays, gamma rays or
electrons to kill cancer cells in a specific part of the body. It
does so by creating cellular shifts that destroy the cell's ability
to grow and divide, which eventually kills those cells. The
difficulty with radiation therapy is it cannot distinguish between
the healthy cells and the cancer cells.
Radiation therapy can be used alone or in combination with
chemotherapy and surgery. The treatment method is often used as it
can reach parts of the body that surgery cannot and causes fewer
side effects. The process is as painless as a chest x ray.
Treatment was long and tedious. Daily I was laid in a
big plastic 'Thunderbird 2' style bed. It zapped me with lasers and
drugged me with drips. Again and again I was asked to explain my
symptoms, to different doctors, different specialists, and
different nurses. Each time they took notes, nodded their heads and
put me through hundreds of tests. It must surely be true that
doctors can't write neatly, or certainly they wouldn't have kept
asking me the same questions, they could have simply reviewed
yesterday's notes.
Justin, Auckland
The most common type of radiation therapy is external beam
irradiation, is directed at a specific tumor. Total body
irradiation can be used to treat certain types of leukemia, or as a
procedure before a bone marrow transplant (BMT). Radiation is
usually done through the outpatient clinic once or twice a day for
several weeks.
If you have a cancer in the area of your head or neck, the
radiation therapists (the trained staff that plan and deliver the
radiation) need to make sure that you keep really still during
treatment and also from one treatment to another. And ChCh Oncology
uses the technology from Lord of the Rings! This was used to create
Gollum. You lie on a bed with a head support behind you and keep
really still. A therapist scans your head and neck (you don't feel
a thing) and the image of you comes up on a computer screen.
From there the 'imprint' of your face goes to another system and
creates a Perspex mask that fits you perfectly. Holes are cut out
in area of the eyes and mouth so you can see and breathe
normally.
Because Radiation can damage your normal cells, a CT scan is
taken of the area you're going to be treated. If you had a mask
made, you'll need to wear this while being scanned. This ensures
the therapists can give the maximum dose to the cancer while
keeping the radiation to you normal cells as low as possible.
Once a scan has been taken of the area to be treated, it is sent
to the Dosimetry Room - this is where all the planning happens! The
Radiation Oncologist will outline on the scan exactly where he
wants the radiation. The radiation therapist will work out how best
to give the radiation. Sometimes this can take up to 10 hours,
depending on how complex it is! Phew!
So now your plan is ready and has been checked no less than
THREE times (they're very careful). Now it's time for you to hop
onto the treatment bed. This 'bed' is very hard, but it needs to be
hard so that you are likely to lay exactly the same each time. If
you were on a cushion, there would be too much movement. The first
treatment is usually the longest - the teams of therapists work
together to make sure that you are set up correctly and you're in
the right place, to a millimeter of accuracy!
Depending on the treatment the Oncologist has prescribed, you
may need to go in for treatment for anything between a week and six
weeks. Remember again that the plans are made only for you and so
take into account many factors to ensure you get the best possible
treatment.
Once a week you will be seen by the Oncologist and the nurse to
see how you are. Side effects are common from treatment and can
range from a very minor 'sunburn' to a bad sunburn and other
irritations, depending on where you are treated. You will have a
follow-up appointment with the Oncologist again, usually 4-6 weeks
after your last day of treatment