Radiation Oncology

Overview

Cancer is a serious illness. For its treatment, there are a few ways by which the treatment is conducted. One of the most common ways of cancer treatment is by radiation oncology. Two-thirds of all cancer patients will receive radiation oncology.

Radiation oncology is commonly known as radiation therapy, it is one of the important cancer treatment methods that is being used by medical experts to treat cancer. In brief about this method; the medical experts use controlled and powerful radiation beams to kill the cancer cells or to ease the cancer related problems or symptoms. The method is safe and considered to be one of the minimally invasive treatment methods.

What is Radiation Oncology?

Radiation oncology or radiation therapy is a type of cancer treatment program or method. This treatment method uses high-energy radiation waves to damage or to destroy cancer causing cells from the patient's body. The practicality of the procedure is that the radiation waves target the cancer-causing cells. The waves stop their abnormal growth and multiplication. Moreover, the waves directly affect the DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) of those cancer-causing cells. Sometimes these waves can also damage non-cancerous cells.

radiation therapy

The main objective of radiation therapy is to target the affected area. The high-energy waves simply projected towards the area or location of a tumor or where the tumor was present to destroy any remaining cancer-causing cells.

Radiation oncology is an ideal option for treating cancer because the procedure is conducted on a specific part of the body and therefore the whole body of the individual is not affected by the treatment. Like other cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, they affect the entire body of the individual. More than half of the number of cancer patients goes through the treatment of radiation therapy. Radiation therapy can be the only option, or it can also be given after another cancer treatment method such as surgery or chemotherapy.

What are the types of radiation therapy?

In general, there are two types of radiation therapy. The radiation oncologist (Radiation oncologists are the people that work closely with medical oncologists, surgeons, and other doctors to determine the most appropriate course of treatment for people diagnosed with cancer.), after diagnosing the patient will choose which type of therapy is more beneficial and best for the patient. The factors that need to be considered while deciding the therapy type are as follows:

  • Cancer type
  • Tumor size
  • Location of cancer
  • The proximity of cancer to other tissues sensitive to radiation.
  • Patients' overall health and well-being
  • Whether the patient needs any other type of cancer treatment or not.
  • The age factor of the patient.

After considering all these factors, the radiation oncologist will prescribe which type of radiation therapy is best for the patient after considering all his or her conditions.

The two types of radiation therapy are as follows:

  • External beam radiation therapy
  • Internal radiation therapy

What are the benefits of radiation therapy?

Radiation therapy is considered as an essential tool to treat cancer. Another reason for radiation therapy is that it is flexible in nature that means it can also be done after other therapies such as chemotherapy or tumor removal (surgery). The main objective of radiation therapy is to stop the abnormal growth and multiplication of the cancer-causing cell and to shrink the size of the tumor. There are several reasons that make radiation therapy a viable option for the treatment of cancer. Doctors may choose it for;

  • To destroy cancer causing cells as it is target specific.
  • To shrink or reduce the size of the tumor.
  • To stop the cancer from coming back.
  • To treat symptoms of cancer.

The radiation therapy simply stops the growth of the cancer-causing cells. Moreover, it also reduces the amount of inflammation around the cancer affected part of the body. Radiation therapy might not cure cancer, but it can be used to slow down or halt the growth of the cancer.

What are the side effects of radiation therapy?

Every individual’s body reaction differs in terms of radiation therapy. In some cases, people experience all the side effects whereas, in some cases people do not feel or experience any side effects. Therefore, it is better to consider all the possible side effects of radiation oncology. The most common side effects that can be seen are given below;

How to get prepared for radiation therapy and its process?

First, a group of doctors will properly examine the patient’s condition. The team of doctors comprises of doctors, radio oncologist and a doctor that treats cancer with radiation. They will determine what type of proper treatment and therapy needs to be done. The radiation therapy will be conducted in a manner that the patient will get the time to get recover after each session and his or her body develops enough healthy cell to function properly

Moreover, the treatment is entirely based upon the factor of the type and size of the cancer. The person will lie down on a treatment table with all the basic and required protective gear. The radiation therapy uses a linear accelerator machine. This machine directs the radiation to the targeted part of the body. It is a painless process therefore a person does not feel any type of pain while going through it.

How Much Does Radiation Therapy Cost In India?

The cost of Radiation Therapy in India starts from USD 4,000 (INR 3,17,218). On the other hand, it can vary depending on several factors, such as;

  • The cost of admission.
  • The kind of hospital.
  • The cost of an oncologist planning.
  • Complications occur after a therapy treatment.
  • The type of radiation therapy that will be used is yet to be determined.
  • The target area of the body to be treated and the patient’s other medical condition.
  • Any other lab tests or examination tests, such as X-rays, ECGs, and so on.

When all the criteria and factors that are listed above are taken into consideration, then the cost of radiation therapy in India varies widely. For instance, the cost of radiation therapy for breast cancer is around USD 2,000 to 7,000 (INR 1,58,609 to 5,55,131).

For instance, the table shows the average cost of the two types of radiation therapy:

S.No. Types of Therapy Cost
1. Internal Radiation Therapy

($ 897 to $ 7,481)

₹ 71,136 to ₹ 5,93,276

2. External Beam Radiation Therapy

($ 1,014 to $ 1,449)

₹ 8,0414 to ₹ 1,14,912

FAQs

Radiation oncology or radiation therapy is a type of cancer treatment program or method. This treatment method uses high-energy radiation waves to damage or to destroy cancer causing cells from the patient's body

There are two types of radiation therapy, and they are as follows;

  • External beam radiation therapy.
  • Internal radiation therapy.

Yes, radiation oncology is safe. The patient will go through different measures to have safe and precise treatment.

The cost of Radiation Therapy in India starts from ₹ 2,80,000 (4000 USD).

No, pregnant women cannot undergo radiation therapy as the high-dose radiation may harm the baby.

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