Information About Cancer Radiotherapy

Cancer affects millions of patients all around the world and the death rates seems to be on the rise, especially for those who smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol. The reason for this is that numerous patients develop cancer due to the chemicals found in them, meaning that cancer could have been completely prevented. However, if the cancer is detected early (early stages of the disease) then the patient might be eligible to receive radiotherapy, which in turn will help slow down the abnormal cells. There is information about cancer radiotherapy that you should be aware of before receiving the treatment; it’s important that you see an oncologist to decide which treatment is the best for you.

Brief History of Cancer Radiotherapy

As the name describes, cancer radiotherapy makes use of radiation in order to fight the uncontrolled growth of cancer cells. The origin of the treatment dates back to the late 19th century when known German physicist Wilhelm Röntgendiscovered the x-rays, while testing Lenard tubes. Other scientists and researchers started to follow the new discovery closely, and soon after developed what today is known as cancer radiotherapy. One of the key people was Marie Curie, who received a Nobel Prize for her advances in the radiotherapy field, such as the finding radium (an element). Soon enough, medical researchers and physicians started to use radium in the treatment of various diseases, including cancer. The medical field remained the same until the 1970s, when scientists developed the MRI and PET.

Who Can Receive Radiotherapy?

It’s critical that you obtain updated information about cancer radiotherapy the moment you, or your relative, is diagnosed with the disease. This will determine if you are eligible to receive cancer radiotherapy, and how long should you receive it for. In general, any cancer patient is capable of undergoing radiotherapy, but the problem relies on how far along has the disease spread. For example, patients that are terminally ill and on the last stages of the cancer are better off not receiving radiotherapy because the side effects might make them pass away faster. Those who have their cancer detected very early have higher chances of successfully slowing the abnormal cells growth with the help of cancer radiotherapy. Moreover, the dose of radiation is determined by your oncologist, who has full knowledge of your medical history.

Side Effects and Costs

When you request information about cancer radiotherapy, you will see that there are a number of side effects associated with the treatment. The reason for this is the fact that your body will receive ionizing radiation, which will try to gain control over the cancerous cells that keep dividing and growing nonstop. Your doctor won’t be able to say for sure if you will experience the side effects or not, because there are patients that experience them and others that don’t. In addition, the cost for cancer radiotherapy varies from one state to the other, and it’s mainly based on the number of sessions that you will receive, plus the type of medical insurance that you have.