Nuclear Oncology

Posts Tagged ‘Radiotherapy’

* Approximately one third of patients with lung cancer are diagnosed with localized disease can be treated either by surgical resection, or if the patient is a candidate for complete surgical resection, radiation therapy defined. Another third of patients have the disease spread to the lymph nodes. In such cases, radiation therapy is used in combination with chemotherapy and sometimes surgery. The last third of patients may have tumors that have spread to other parts of the body through the bloodstream, which are usually treated with chemotherapy and sometimes radiation therapy to relieve symptoms.
* Surgery, with removal of all the lobe where the tumor is located, is the primary treatment for patients with early stage cancer who have a good general state of health. The goal of surgery is to completely eliminate all tumor cells and thus cure the disease. Unfortunately, lung cancer usually develops in smokers over 50 years of age, who often already have lung disease or other serious health conditions that increase the risk of surgery. The location and size of a lung tumor determine the extent of surgery. Open thoracotomy or less invasive video-assisted thoracic surgery using small incisions, may be recommended for some properly selected patients.
* Lobectomy, removing an entire lobe of lung is an accepted procedure to remove the cancer when the lungs are working well. The risk of death is 3 to 4 percent, and tends to be higher in older patients. If lung function does not allow for a lobectomy, a small cancer and confined to a limited area can be removed with a small portion of lung tissue. This is called resection sublobar and can be a wedge resection or segmentectomy. There is a possible risk of recurrence higher with a more limited surgery with lobectomy. The smaller the portion of lung removed, the lower lung function than the patient loses, and carries a mortality risk due to the operation of 1.4 percent. If necessary to remove the entire lung for pneumonectomy, the mortality rate is expected 5 to 8 percent. Older patients have higher risk and it is very common for the cancer returning. Read the rest of this entry »

At the beginning of each session of radiotherapy, the patient was positioned carefully guided by skin marks that define the treatment area. Devices can be used to help the patient maintain the correct position. Pictures are then taken using the imaging equipment incorporated into the radiation delivery machine or mounted on the treatment room.

The physician then reviews the images and compares them with those taken during the simulation. You may reposition the patient and to take additional pictures. After having made any prescriptions in the treatment plan and the positioning of the patient, then radiation therapy is delivered.

The image guidance process can add up to five minutes each session Read the rest of this entry »