Palliative Cancer Radiotherapy

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) the number of cancer patients in the entire world is projected to reach 15 million by the year 2020. This means that the current rate is expected to double, which translates to perhaps more people dying from the different types of cancer. On the other hand, when a cancer or tumor is detected with enough time, radiotherapy and chemotherapy can be used to remove the cancerous mass completely. However, there are cases in which it’s too late to carry out such procedure, and the only thing that is offered is palliative cancer radiotherapy, in order to relieve the patient from pain.

When to Receive Palliative Treatment

Your doctor and his or her team of specialists will discuss with you the possibility of chemotherapy, surgery or palliative cancer radiotherapy. Palliative treatment isn’t always prescribed and the decision to do so will be made by your doctor and yourself. The reason why you might not be a candidate for palliative cancer radiotherapy is because your body might not be ready for it, or the side effects might be too strong for your age. Moreover, palliative cancer radiotherapy is recommended for the following situations:

• Cancerous mass creating pressure on the spinal cord
• Bleeding organs – such as the stomach, bladder and other parts
• Tumor that has metastasized throughout the bones
• Cancer is present in the throat or any other area that makes it difficult to eat or breathe

The reason why palliative cancer radiotherapy is recommended for the aforementioned situations is because they can cause excruciating pain, and the doctor will try to improve the patient’s quality of life.

Different Types of Treatments

If your doctor decides that you’re an eligible candidate to receive palliative cancer radiotherapy, you will have to meet with other members of the team prior to starting the program. One of the first members you will discuss the treatment with is the radiotherapist or oncologist, who will move on to study your medical history in order to decide what area of your body should be treated. He or she will also have to make a decision on how high should the radiation be and also for how long; the radiation therapist will also be in the room and he or she will mark the way for the oncologist to know where to apply the radiation.

Side Effects to Expect

It’s rather important that you understand that you might experience side effects or complications after the conclusion of your palliative cancer radiotherapy. Even though the treatment is designed to relieve you from pain, there are cases in which the patient will have to deal with major (but temporary) side effects. Keep in mind that one major influential factor is the overall condition of your body and health, which will be discussed with your doctor prior to having the therapy done. A few of the side effects are:

• Nausea
• Skin problems
• Diarrhea
• Fatigue

The side effects also depend on the area of the body where you had the palliative cancer radiotherapy done.