Radiation Oncology

Radiation therapy — or radiotherapy — is a predominant cancer treatment that utilises radiation (usually high-powered X-rays) to destroy cancer cells. Radiation therapy may be utilised independently or alongside other treatments, like surgery or chemotherapy.  

Team of Experts 

Team of highly skilled and qualified Radiation oncologists (healthcare professionals who specialise in radiation therapy) provide high quality care. They determine whether radiation therapy would benefit the patient and, if so, the best type of radiation therapy for the kind of cancer the patient has. They also craft the radiation treatment plan with the radiation dosage that will kill cancer cells without harming nearby healthy tissue.  

Holistic and multidisciplinary approach  

The experts at Fortis Healthcare deliver the superior quality care available. Fortis Healthcare have a strong research program and a multidisciplinary team of medical oncologists, cancer surgeons, radiation oncologists, and other paramedical staff. The team works together to offer complete and integrated cancer care, from prevention and diagnosis to treatment and follow-up 

Types of radiation therapy treatment 

There are two key forms of radiation therapy: external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) along with internal radiation therapy available at Fortis Healthcare, one of the best radiation oncology hospitals in India. Both types work by decimating a cancer cell’s - genetic material - DNA. Cancer cells die without DNA instructions directing them to grow and proliferate, and tumours shrink.  

External beam radiation therapy (EBRT)  

This therapy is the most prevalent type of radiotherapy. With EBRT, a machine guides beams of high-energy radiation toward the tumour. The energy may be X-rays (the most common type), electrons, or protons. Precision is vital with EBRT. The patient's radiation oncologists will craft a treatment plan to attack the tumour with radiation while avoiding the patient’s healthy tissue.  

There are several forms of EBRT:  

• 3D conformal radiation therapy utilises CT scans as well as computer software to generate a 3D model of the tumour. Utilizing the model as a guide, the machine sends out radiation beams that target the cancer site while sparing healthy tissue.  

• Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is an extremely innovative form of radiation therapy. It uses many radiation beams that vary the dose intensity. IMRT delivers a higher radiation dose to the tumour and lower doses to healthy tissue.  

• Arc-based radiotherapy is a form of IMRT. It directs energy beams of changing intensity in a rotational arc-like pattern, delivering radiation rapidly than traditional IMRT. Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) as well as tomotherapy are two forms of arc-based radiotherapy.  

• Image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) refers to a form of EBRT in which the radiation machine fetches a low-dose X-ray/mini-CT scan prior to each treatment. This image aids in aligning the treatment site, delivering more precise radiation.  

• Stereotactic radiosurgery, such as Gamma Knife surgery, utilises high doses of focused radiation to destroy miniature brain tumours with surgical accuracy. Unlike surgery, it doesn’t require cutting. Typically, this treatment takes one-five days.  

• Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) utilises high doses of focused radiation to kill tumours exterior of person's brain. Like stereotactic radiosurgery, it eliminates tumours with surgical accuracy but without actual surgery.  

• Intraoperative radiation (IORT) delivers radiation during surgery. Post a tumour has been taken out surgically, IORT kills any remaining cancer cells that aren’t safe to remove surgically.  

Internal radiation therapy  

Internal radiation therapy places radiation inside of an individual’s body, close to cancer cells. It treats smaller tumours in an individual’s head, neck, breast, cervix, uterus, or prostate.  

Patient can receive internal radiation through a solid source/in liquid form:  

• Brachytherapy implants a solid radioactive source/ “seed,” inside or beside a tumour. The source sends out radiation to a small portion to kill cancer cells. Some implants release low doses for more extended periods (weeks). Others may release high doses for shorter duration (minutes). 

• Systemic therapy sends liquid radioactive material through a patient’s blood to find and destroy cancer cells. Some forms are swallowed. Patients will receive an injection through a vein (IV) for others. Treatments include radionuclide therapy (radioimmunotherapy). With radioimmunotherapy, a radioactive protein identifies specific cancer cells, adheres to them, and then releases radiation to kill them.  

What are the benefits of radiation therapy? 

• Radiation therapy is a reliable as well as effective cancer treatment that’s been around for over more than 100 years.  

• Based on the type of cancer person has, radiation therapy can kill cancer cells and help other treatments work better.  

• It’s also an important part of palliative care.  

• It can ease cancer symptoms so that one can live a fuller, more enjoyable life. 

Innovations 

Flash Therapy is Top Technology Trend in Radiation Oncology 

• Over the past few months, there has been a too much of discussion regarding flash therapy and how it may give a revolutionary way to treat cancer.  

• Instead of days/weeks of fractions of radiation given to a patient, the complete massive dose is given all at once very quickly in one fraction.  

• What is astonishing is that healthy tissues respond much differently to these high doses of radiation compared many daily smaller dose fractions over time.  

• Comparatively Healthy tissues appear to recover well, while the high doses kill the cancer cells very quickly.  

Image-guided Radiotherapy Systems  

• Linear accelerators (linac) systems guided by Magnetic Resonance Imaging have become famous in the past few months because they permit real-time imaging during radiation delivery. 

• Image-guided therapy systems provide a lot of benefits over conventional linear accelerator (linac) systems, as they give real-time MRI imaging of the patient and the target tumour.  

• This enables more accurate alignment of the patient with the treatment plan being given, and it can depict when the target tumour is outside of the treatment portion because on patient movement, breathing, or alterations in the body because of food and liquid intake, or bowel gas. 

Fortis is one of the best cancer hospitals in India providing radiation oncology services. The team of highly skilled as well as qualified radiation oncologists offer complete and personalised care to patients. They stand different among other hospitals as they offer cutting edge technologies and world class facilities to patients.