By Jason Howland, Mayo Clinic News Network
People who’ve most cancers might need the illness handled with a number of therapies, together with chemotherapy and radiation. Radiation remedy, which greater than half of all folks with most cancers obtain as a part of their remedy, makes use of high-powered power beams, corresponding to X-rays or protons, to kill most cancers cells.
Some sufferers could also be nervous about receiving radiation remedy.
In this Mayo Clinic Minute, Dr. Jennifer L. Peterson, a radiation oncologist, helps clear up a number of the misconceptions about what usually is a vital a part of an individual’s most cancers remedy.
Radiation remedy can play a beneficial position in an individual’s most cancers remedy plan. But Dr. Peterson needs to dispel a couple of myths.
“There are many misconceptions when a patient hears the word radiation. One of the most common is that radiation is going to make me sick,” she says.
She says unwanted effects from radiation are depending on what a part of the physique is being handled and the way a lot radiation is used. Those unwanted effects can embrace hair loss, pores and skin irritation, sore throat, nausea or diarrhea.
“And we work through those as we work the patient through treatment. But, in general, it’s very well tolerated, and most patients can continue with their normal activities throughout the course of treatment,” says Dr. Peterson.
Another false impression is the radiation goes to trigger one other most cancers.
“The risk of developing a second cancer from radiation is exceedingly low. That’s a long-term risk, something that could happen decades down the road, but the ability of the radiation to treat the current tumor or the current problem far exceeds that risk,” says Dr. Peterson.
The backside line is that fashionable strategies of radiation remedy are exact. They goal the beams instantly on the most cancers whereas defending the remainder of the physique from excessive doses of radiation.
___
©2023 Mayo Clinic News Network. Visit newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”