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Posts tagged radiotherapy
Treating breast cancer — part 2
Sep 2nd
The side effects of chemotherapy only last as long as your course of treatment. Once your treatment is over, the rapidly growing cells that occur naturally in your body will repair themselves. This means that your hair will grow back, although it may look or feel different to how it did before. For example, it may be a slightly different colour, or softer or curlier than before.
Treating breast cancer — part 1
Aug 31st
Your surgeon will always remove an area of healthy breast tissue around the cancer, which will be tested for traces of cancer. If there is no cancer present in the healthy tissue, there is less chance that the cancer will recur. If cancer cells are found in the surrounding tissue, you may need to have more tissue surgically removed from your breast.
Introduction part 3: Treating cancer (1)
Aug 20th
Most infusion reactions happen within 24 hours of the first time somebody begins treatment, so it is likely that you will be closely monitored once your treatment begins. If you begin experiencing the symptoms of an infusion reaction, anti-allergy medicines, such as corticosteroids, can be used to relieve symptoms.
The side effects of radiotherapy
Jul 8th
In men, temporary impotence (the inability to get an erection) and loss of interest in sex are common side effects of radiotherapy. This is often caused by feeling tired after radiotherapy and being anxious about the treatment or illness. Radiotherapy to the pelvic area can cause temporary impotence by affecting the nerves in and around your penis. Most other radiotherapy treatments will not make you infertile or cause any problems if you decide to have children in the future.
How radiotherapy is performed
Jul 7th
First, a patient has to be prepared so that they can lie in the same position for treatment. Usually, a patient has a scan in the treatment position and the doctor outlines the tumour target to be treated and also identifies the body organs to avoid (the kidneys or liver, for example). When treatment starts there are a lot of checks.
Radiotherapy
Jul 6th
Radiotherapy is largely used to treat and control many different types of cancer. It can shrink a cancerous tumour (abnormal cell growth) before it is surgically removed. The aim of radiotherapy is to kill the cancerous cells in the affected area of the body. However, there are some benign conditions that can be treated, such as thyroid disease or bone formation around a hip replacement
Treating cervical cancer — the options
Mar 26th
If cervical cancer has spread beyond the cervix and cannot be treated using surgery, radiotherapy is usually used instead and may be given in combination with chemotherapy. It can also help patients whose cancer cannot be cured by relieving symptoms and prolonging a good quality of life.
Cervical Cancer — Knowing is saving a life!
Mar 19th
Early-stage cancer that is confined to the cervix can usually be successfully treated through surgery and/or radiotherapy. However, if the cancer has spread to the surrounding areas, such as the vagina, bladder or lymph nodes, the outlook is less positive. Cervical cancer can be prevented if it is detected in the early stages.
Treating Prostate Cancer — part 1 of 2
Jan 26th
When treatment is necessary, its aim is to cure or control the disease, so that it does not shorten the life expectancy of the men who have it, and has as little effect as possible on their everyday lives. Sometimes, if the cancer has already spread, the aim is not to cure it, but to prolong life and delay symptoms.
