A Research Study On Radiation Therapy

I have always been interested in the medical field. My father is a physiotherapist and my mother has a bachelorette in Microbiology and is a laboratory technologist. I have grown up having science-themed discussions around the dinner table and books lying around the house. With the experience of my parents at their respected professions, I did not have the feeling that these paths were the correct fit for me. I liked the hands on side of physiotherapy but I wanted something more technology related. I searched the medical field for a career that combined my fascination for both human science and technology in addition to being able to interact with patients. My research on Radiation Therapy instantly established a thought that this is a career

My patient currently had breast cancer, after receiving radiation therapy. She started to have issues with the quality of saliva production. She is having difficulties with dry mouth, or in other words xerostomia, caused by the radiation therapy given to the head and neck area. It is not uncommon that patients receiving radiation therapy to the head and neck area experience a decrease in saliva flow. Studies have shown that saliva flow during radiation therapy actually increases, due to the salivary glands being irritated by the radiation; however, once treatment has ended the salivary glands are relieved and decrease (OncoLink, 2014). The saliva dramatically decreases leaving the individual with temporary or permanent xerostomia. Enzymes in

Many people are living longer because of radiation therapy to treat cancer, but what happens after treatment is over? Most people go back to their normal life. However, some people will have their quality of life affected by late effects of radiation therapy. Late effects of radiation therapy can happen months or years after treatment and may be temporary or permanent. Some can be minor such as skin changes to the treated area, and some can be as serious as cardiovascular problems. As radiation therapy has become more advanced and more common in treating cancer, professionals in medicine have studied the treatments and late effects to decide what can be done to prevent late-effects from occurring.

According to Komen (2009) side effects from radiation therapy will vary related to the area treated and may include skin irritation, breast changes or swelling, fatigue, dry cough or difficulty swallowing, and lymphedema. The American Society for Clinical Oncology (2013) go on to add more specific side effects such as with the skin itching, dryness, blistering, and peeling. They also mention long term side effects such as developing a secondary cancer from the radiation treatment although the risk is low and the benefits for treating the current cancer greatly outweigh the risk. Another more site specific side effect

Today, radiation oncologists spend most of their time trying to determine the correct way to treat different forms of tumors and cancer. The radiation oncologist monitors progress and oversees much of the treatment. A radiation team comes together to help find the best possible treatment for the patient. The radiation team consists of the radiation oncologist, radiation oncology nurse, medical physicist, medical dosimetrist, and a radiation therapist. After they formulate a plan, the radiation oncologist must convey the information directly to their patients. This part of the job may become very emotional and requires a comforting personality. The radiation oncologist will then help the patient begin the treatment regimen and will track progress along the

Radiation therapy employs high-energy beams to exterminate cancer cells. During radiation therapy, the patient lies flat on a table, and a bulky machine pilots the energy beam around the patient. The radiation will be aimed at the affected lymph nodes and the nearby area of nodes. Also, Radiation therapy includes side effects: fatigue, redness/burning of the skin, heart disease, stroke, thyroid problems, and other forms of

Growing up in the small country like Vietnam, I have seen many of my neighbor died because of cancer due to the lacking of knowledge and technology about treatment. My first curious about cancer was when I was fifteen years old. My brother-in-law’s mother had stomach cancer. She endured chemotherapy treatments that made her body was swollen and her hair was lost. Seeing her suffering cancer pain made me want work in medical field so that I may contribute to help patients who are battling cancer.

Nevertheless, removing the most of the tumor in the affected area by the surgery, women tend to redevelop the disease that left still. For this reason, radiotherapy is applied after the breast conserving surgery. Understanding the mechanism of the radiation is that generating free radicals to destroy the cells by producing a large amount of energy that lead to breaking a single and double stranded DNA. A pregnant woman should avoid the radiotherapy, moreover the patients with previous cancer histories who was treated before (Buchholz, 2009). Chemotherapy is basically systemic therapy, yet has limited opportunity which depends on the affected number of lymph nodes, the size of the cancer, the presence of hormone receptors, and the amount of

After I graduate from ASUN I plan to go to a four-year college. I would like to acquire my degree in Radiologic Sciences. I am most interested in radiation therapy. One of my goals in life is to work hard enough that I can help my parents financially, travel, and give back to the people around me. I hope to find a job in the Jonesboro area, but I am very open to moving to other parts of the world.

Radiation can also change cells and sometimes destroy them. Exposure to too much radiation can cause health conditions such as cancer.

The side effects of radiation therapy are different from patient to patient. The two types of side effects are acute and chronic. Acute occur during the treatment and basically go away from the end of the treatment. The acute side effects are fatigue, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, mouth sore, loss of hair, and alopecia. Chronic occurs years after radiation therapy and it can become permanent.

Though radiation therapy is meant to destroy the cancer cells, they also destroy normal cells. High levels of radiation can destroy DNA cell and cause them not to be able to function properly. “Anemia (low red blood cells), which can cause you to feel tired. Leukopenia (low white blood cells), which increases the risks of serious infection” (“Radiation Therapy”) are also cells that can be destroyed in the proses. However, normal cells are usually able to repair themselves whereas cancer cells cannot. Radiation therapy is meant to maximize the radiation dose and kill off cancer cells, but normal cells can get in the way so they can be destroyed as well. “Each day, Henrietta’s doctors increased her dose of radiation, hoping it would shrink the tumors and ease the pain until her death” (Skloot

Radiation therapy is one of the most popular modern treatments for cancer. As a matter of fact nearly two-thirds of patients diagnosed with cancer receive radiation therapy treatment. It is very successful in treating common cancers such as breast cancer. A statistic taken by the Cancer Treatment Center of America from 2000 to 2011 states the mortality rate of breast cancer treated by radiation therapy within 6 months of initial diagnoses is 95%. However some of the side effects may include fatigue, nausea, fibrosis, diarrhea, bleeding, hair loss, memory loss, infertility, and rarely a second cancer. Also for those without medical insurance radiation therapy may cost up to $50,000. Radiation therapy is the most developed and effective treatment

The radiation produced by radiopharmaceuticals is not lethal when administered in small doses, however side effects may ensue large quantities. Potential adverse side effects include Myelosuppression, the suppression of bone marrow creating a deficiency in cells providing immunity (Eshelman School of Pharmacy, 2013). Pregnant women are not permitted to receive any form of radiopharmaceutical procedures due to the foetuses sensitivity to radiation: potentially causing birth defects. Subsequently women who are breastfeeding can’t receive any radiopharmaceuticals due to its potential presence in breast milk. Side effects that may additionally occur include allergic reactions and the altered interactions with other medication. To minimise the risk and significance of the disadvantages/ side effects the radiopharmaceuticals are administered by a doctor specialised in nuclear medicine. The disadvantages encompassing the implementation of radiopharmaceuticals is circumstantial, the quantity of radiation relates to the risk of potential side

here are a few treatment options for Gene’s situation, but the first option we suggested (which is one of the standard methods) would be to surgically remove the pancreas and follow it with chemo-radiation therapy, also known as adjuvant therapy. Although there are a few surgical options, the best case for Gene would be to undergo a whipple procedure. According to Radiology Assistant, “patients with a pancreatic head tumor, typically dilatation of the common bile duct and pancreatic duct (double duct sign) is seen, which is very suggestive for a mass in the pancreatic head, even in the absence of a visible mass” (Karlson, 1999). This is exactly what was found in Genes MRI; therefore we concluded that the whipple, which involves the removal of the head of the pancreas, would be necessary. This procedure allows some of the pancreas to be salvaged, that way he is still able to produce a small amount of digestive juices and insulin. Even though we are not removing the entire pancreas, Gene might still have problems digesting and absorbing nutrients, so it is best if he takes medicine that might replace his pancreatic enzymes. He will need an enzyme supplement that contains