Sometimes chemotherapy is given along with the radiation to help it work better. Each treatment takes less than a half-hour, but daily visits to the radiation center are needed. A special mold of the pelvis and lower back is custom made to make sure you are in the exact same position for each treatment. The skin covering the treatment area is carefully marked with permanent ink or tiny tattoos. In this type of treatment the radiation is delivered from a source outside of the body.Įxternal beam radiation therapy is often given 5 days a week for 4 to 6 weeks. (Called radiation vaginitis, this is discussed in more detail below, in the side effects section.) If needed, pain medicines can be used to help you be more comfortable while the applicator is in. The most common side effect is changes in the lining of the vagina. For endometrial cancer, HDR brachytherapy might be given weekly or even daily for at least 3 doses. You will be able to go home the same day. The applicator is only in place when the treatment is done. Each treatment takes a very short time (usually less than an hour), and the radiation is only in for 10 to 20 minutes. In HDR brachytherapy, the radiation is stronger.Because the patient has to stay immobile, this form of brachytherapy carries a risk of serious blood clots in the legs (called deep venous thrombosis or DVT). The patient needs to be still to keep the applicator from moving during treatment, so she's usually needs to stay in the hospital during treatment. In LDR brachytherapy, the applicator with the radiation source in it is left in for about 1 to 4 days.There are 2 types of brachytherapy used for endometrial cancer, low-dose rate (LDR) and high-dose rate (HDR). This procedure is done in the radiation therapy area of a hospital or a radiation treatment center. Nearby structures like the bladder and rectum get less radiation exposure. With brachytherapy, the radiation mainly affects the area of the vagina in contact with the cylinder. The upper part of the vagina, closest to the uterus, is always treated. (It feels a lot like a snug tampon.) The size of the cylinder and how much radiation is in it depend on each case. A source of radiation (a radioactive material) is put into a cylinder (called an applicator) and the cylinder is put into the vagina. Women who have had their uterus (and cervix) removed may have the upper part of the vagina treated with brachytherapy. Women who are not healthy enough for surgery may get radiation as their main treatment. Less often, radiation might be given before surgery to help shrink a tumor so it's easier to remove. If your treatment plan includes radiation after surgery, you will be given time to heal before starting radiation. It can kill any cancer cells that may still be in the treated area. Radiation is most often used after surgery to treat endometrial cancer. The stage and grade of the cancer are used to help decide what areas need to be treated with radiation therapy and which types of radiation are used. When that's done, the external beam radiation is usually given first, followed by the brachytherapy. In some cases, both brachytherapy and external beam radiation therapy are used. This is called external beam radiation therapy. By using a machine that focuses beams of radiation at the tumor, much like having an x-ray.This is called internal radiation therapy or brachytherapy. By putting radioactive materials inside the body.It can be given in 2 ways to treat endometrial cancer: In a few cases, the cancer can spread to nearby bones which can also result in bone pain.Radiation therapy uses high-energy radiation (like x-rays) to kill cancer cells. Pain or tenderness in your bones: Bladder cancer tumors that press against bones can cause pain or tenderness in them.Foot swelling: Advanced cases of bladder cancer that have spread outside the bladder into nearby nodes can cause swelling in the feet due to improper drainage of lymphatic fluid.Loss of appetite that lasts for several days can result in weight loss and make you feel weak.
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