5 reasons brain tumors are still treated with radiation therapy

By Jessica Saenz

Radiation has been used to deal with most cancers for the reason that starting of the twentieth century. Immediately, radiation remedy continues to be one of the widespread and efficient remedies for malignant and benign mind tumors. However the way it’s delivered — and the expertise used to ship it — continues to evolve and enhance.

Jennifer Peterson, M.D.a radiation oncologist at Mayo Clinic, discusses what trendy radiation therapy for brain tumors appears to be like like and explains why it is nonetheless a sensible choice for sufferers.

1. It is exact.

Exact radiation supply to the tumor is essential to keep away from damaging surrounding tissues and organs and to efficiently destroy the most cancers and forestall recurrence.

Dr. Peterson says at this time’s radiation remedy methods are extra exact and efficient. This implies sufferers tolerate the remedy higher with fewer unwanted side effects. “After we’re designing a radiation plan, we define areas we wish to deal with and areas we wish to keep away from. Then we are able to design a radiation plan to exactly goal or keep away from these particular areas,” she says. “The accuracy with which we are able to ship the remedy is normally inside millimeters. That limits the surplus publicity of wholesome tissues to radiation.”

Your most cancers care workforce will use superior imaging like CT scans to information radiation supply. “We now have imaging that permits us to precisely place sufferers for the remedy,” says Dr. Peterson. “We have additionally developed adaptive radiation planning, which permits us to change remedy as wanted.”

2. It may be tailor-made to you.

Radiation remedy just isn’t one-size-fits-all. The quantity, dose, kind and size or frequency of radiation are tailor-made to your remedy plan. And your remedy plan is tailor-made to your mind tumor’s dimension, location and kind.

“Each affected person and each tumor is completely different, and a variety of thought and consideration is required to find out the very best method for treating every affected person,” says Dr. Peterson. “The vast majority of my mind tumor sufferers obtain one among two varieties of radiation: external beam radiationthe place we design a centered radiation plan to deal with the tumor over the course of a number of weeks, or radiosurgerythe place we give a excessive dose of radiation with a conformal radiation plan in 1–5 remedies.”

Stereotactic radiosurgery makes use of 3D imaging to focus on excessive doses of radiation to the affected space with minimal impact on surrounding wholesome tissue. It may be delivered by way of Gamma Knifelinear accelerator (LINAC) and proton beam expertise and utilized in small malignant and benign tumors.

“In benign tumors, radiosurgery is a exact and correct option to ship the remedy so there’s little publicity to surrounding wholesome tissues,” says Dr. Peterson. “For malignant tumors, notably mind metastases, I can use radiosurgery to focus on every tumor individually as an alternative of utilizing a extra complete remedy like whole-brain radiation the place you are treating your entire mind with radiation.”

Radiation remedy may shrink cancers earlier than different remedies or be certain that leftover most cancers cells are destroyed after remedy. Radiation remedy may additionally be used to alleviate signs brought on by superior most cancers.

3. It is safer than ever.

Trendy radiation remedy methods have improved in effectiveness and security. And radiation oncologists are discovering higher methods to restrict publicity and scale back the chance of secondary cancers from radiation. Nonetheless, Dr. Peterson says she usually hears issues from sufferers concerning the chance of secondary cancers. “A standard false impression when sufferers hear the phrase radiation is that radiation will trigger most cancers. Whereas that’s attainable, the chance of growing a second most cancers from radiation is extraordinarily low,” she says.

Expertise that permits for centered radiation helps scale back the chance of secondary cancers.

When secondary most cancers happens attributable to radiation remedy, it most frequently develops years after radiation publicity. Nonetheless, the chance of growing secondary most cancers decreases with time, in accordance with the American Cancer Society. “It is a long-term danger — one thing that might occur a long time down the highway — however the capability of the radiation to deal with the present tumor or the present drawback far exceeds that danger,” says Dr. Peterson.

One other false impression Dr. Peterson hears is that radiation remedy can pose a danger to folks round you. “It passes proper by way of the physique. Sufferers don’t depart their remedies radioactive, they usually will not expose relations or different companions to radiation by receiving the sort of remedy,” she says.

4. Unintended effects might be minimized or handled.

Dr. Peterson says sufferers are sometimes involved concerning the unwanted side effects of radiation remedy, notably in terms of fatigue. “The unwanted side effects from radiation rely upon the place within the physique we’re delivering remedy, however in sufferers with mind tumors, radiation is effectively tolerated,” she says. “As unwanted side effects come up, we are able to work by way of them, however usually, most sufferers can proceed their common actions all through remedy.”

A more moderen method to radiation remedy, hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy, delivers excessive doses of radiation over a shortened remedy schedule, which can lead to fewer unwanted side effects. Dr. Peterson says this may be helpful to sufferers with mind tumors. “We all know regular constructions across the mind can tolerate a certain quantity of radiation, particularly if you give a excessive dose. But when we unfold that dose out over 5 days, the tolerance is a bit higher, so I can provide a better efficient radiation dose with higher tolerance over the 5 days in comparison with one.”

5. It is nonetheless evolving.

Radiation remedy continues to evolve by way of research performed by Mayo Clinic and others. “I’ve seen many advances in radiation throughout my profession. Lots of them must do with the expertise and our capability to focus on the tumor extra exactly,” says Dr. Peterson. She says imaging has additionally improved to assist information extra correct radiation remedy for sufferers.

“It has been thrilling to observe the world of mind tumors evolve over my profession,” says Dr. Peterson. “There are sufferers I handled early in my profession who’ve lived years after remedy, and now their illness is extra of a continual illness that we handle as an alternative of a life-threatening drawback. I am excited concerning the innovation in our radiation oncology department. I believe the chance right here will probably be limitless.”

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