Radiation Therapy
The therapeutic use of radiation in the treatment of cancer is based on the fact that malignant cells are severely damaged by radiation - to the extent that they are not able to reproduce themselves and therefore they die off with time. Normal tissues in the vicinity of the cancer are also affected by radiation, however, with much less severity than cancer cells. Normal tissues also have the ability to repair and heal after the radiation treatments are completed. Radiation therapy is used very often in the treatment of cancer and about 50% of all cancer patients will receive radiation at some time during their cancer treatment.
Radiation Therapy is a form of local and/or regional treatment, because it performs its therapeutic action only within the localized targeted areas of the body. This modality of cancer treatment is commonly used either alone or in combination with surgery and systemic chemotherapy. The amount of radiation prescribed (tumor dose), timing and technique of delivery is decided on an individual basis by the physician (radiation oncologist) who specializes in Oncology. For more information about how the Radiation Oncology Team supports the Lung Cancer team, please contact Salma Jabbour, M.D.
Radiation Therapy in the treatment of lung cancer:
Types of radiation used:
1) External beam radiation
2) High dose rate (HDR) Brachytherapy
3) Low dose rate (LDR) Brachytherapy
In large academic and research cancer centers such as CINJ, the radiation oncologist takes active part in multidisciplinary meetings in which teams of physicians who specialize in other modalities of cancer treatment such as surgeons, medical oncologists (systemic chemotherapy), radiologists, etc. regularly discuss individual cases and make consensus recommendations as appropriate for each anatomical site.
The goal of Radiation Therapy is generally categorized as "curative" whether alone or in combination with other modalities aimed at the complete eradication of the cancer; and "palliative" when it is used to control symptoms such as pain, bleeding, airway obstruction, brain metastases, etc. caused by tumors which when so treated would improve the quality of life of those patients so afflicted.
Radiation Therapy is a form of local and/or regional treatment, because it performs its therapeutic action only within the localized targeted areas of the body. This modality of cancer treatment is commonly used either alone or in combination with surgery and systemic chemotherapy. The amount of radiation prescribed (tumor dose), timing and technique of delivery is decided on an individual basis by the physician (radiation oncologist) who specializes in Oncology. For more information about how the Radiation Oncology Team supports the Lung Cancer team, please contact Salma Jabbour, M.D.
Radiation Therapy in the treatment of lung cancer:
Types of radiation used:
1) External beam radiation
2) High dose rate (HDR) Brachytherapy
3) Low dose rate (LDR) Brachytherapy
In large academic and research cancer centers such as CINJ, the radiation oncologist takes active part in multidisciplinary meetings in which teams of physicians who specialize in other modalities of cancer treatment such as surgeons, medical oncologists (systemic chemotherapy), radiologists, etc. regularly discuss individual cases and make consensus recommendations as appropriate for each anatomical site.
The goal of Radiation Therapy is generally categorized as "curative" whether alone or in combination with other modalities aimed at the complete eradication of the cancer; and "palliative" when it is used to control symptoms such as pain, bleeding, airway obstruction, brain metastases, etc. caused by tumors which when so treated would improve the quality of life of those patients so afflicted.