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What are the different types of radiation treatments?
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Expert Answers
NoushinHartMD (Physician - Oncology - Radiation (Verified) ) - 03 / 24 / 2012
There are three major forms of radiation therapy 1. External radiation therapy 2. "Internal" radiation therapy or brachytherapy 3. Systemic radiation therapy.
External Radiation therapy consists of using different forms of radiation including photons, protons or electrons to irradiate a tumor in the body from outside in. That is the radiation is generated by a machine which is outside of the patient's body and would be pointed towards the tumor or cancer. Obviously this means that the radiation has to go through the normal tissues between the external source of radiation and the tumor/cancer inside the body. We use different energies of photon or electron beams, to optimize focusing the radiation on the tumor and minimize radiation to the surrounding normal tissues. Proton beam is a unique form of radiation which would only deposit radiation at a certain point in the body i.e. tumor/cancer without radiating the normal tissue between the external source and the target of radiation.
"Internal" radiation or brachytherapy involves use of a variety of radioactive isotopes which are either temporarily or permanently placed inside or near the tumor/cancer. By doing so, radiation does not have to go through the normal tissue between an external source and the target of radiation. The most common form of permanent brachytherapy is prostate seed implant. In this form of treatment either Palladium (Pd-103) or Iodine (I-125) seeds are implanted inside the prostate. These seeds would irradiate the prostate gland and the cancer inside it as long as they are radioactive but eventually become inert. The most common example of temporary brachytherapy is the use of either Low Dose Rate (LDR) or High Dose Rate (HDR) forms of brachytherapy for the treatment of gynecological cancers specifically cervical and endometrial cancer.
Systemic radiotherapy involves injection of either a radioactive or a radiolabeled product into the bloodstream so that radiation would potentially reach all areas involved by cancer. The most common form of using a radioactive product is in the treatment of thyroid cancer by using radioactive Iodine (I-131). Examples for radiolabled products are radioactive monoclonal antibodies such as Rituxan, Zevelin and Bexxar. These products are often used in the treatment of non-Hodgkin lymphomas.
External Radiation therapy consists of using different forms of radiation including photons, protons or electrons to irradiate a tumor in the body from outside in. That is the radiation is generated by a machine which is outside of the patient's body and would be pointed towards the tumor or cancer. Obviously this means that the radiation has to go through the normal tissues between the external source of radiation and the tumor/cancer inside the body. We use different energies of photon or electron beams, to optimize focusing the radiation on the tumor and minimize radiation to the surrounding normal tissues. Proton beam is a unique form of radiation which would only deposit radiation at a certain point in the body i.e. tumor/cancer without radiating the normal tissue between the external source and the target of radiation.
"Internal" radiation or brachytherapy involves use of a variety of radioactive isotopes which are either temporarily or permanently placed inside or near the tumor/cancer. By doing so, radiation does not have to go through the normal tissue between an external source and the target of radiation. The most common form of permanent brachytherapy is prostate seed implant. In this form of treatment either Palladium (Pd-103) or Iodine (I-125) seeds are implanted inside the prostate. These seeds would irradiate the prostate gland and the cancer inside it as long as they are radioactive but eventually become inert. The most common example of temporary brachytherapy is the use of either Low Dose Rate (LDR) or High Dose Rate (HDR) forms of brachytherapy for the treatment of gynecological cancers specifically cervical and endometrial cancer.
Systemic radiotherapy involves injection of either a radioactive or a radiolabeled product into the bloodstream so that radiation would potentially reach all areas involved by cancer. The most common form of using a radioactive product is in the treatment of thyroid cancer by using radioactive Iodine (I-131). Examples for radiolabled products are radioactive monoclonal antibodies such as Rituxan, Zevelin and Bexxar. These products are often used in the treatment of non-Hodgkin lymphomas.
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