Cancer is a disease in which there is an uncontrollable development of unwanted cells, which destroys the normal body tissues. Scientists have found a cure for rectal cancer, which is good news for all cancer patients. Radiation therapy is the most common treatment to treat cancer. This blog includes everything you should know before getting radiotherapy done. The City Hospital offers the best cancer treatment in Jabalpur.

What is Radiation Therapy?

Radiation therapy is a treatment for cancer patients. The treatment uses high-energy waves like x-rays, gamma rays, protons, etc., to damage the cancer cells. The high-energy rays make small breaks inside the DNA cells, which keeps cancer cells from growing further, thus, causing them to die. More than half of cancer patients receive radiation therapy. Radiation therapy depends upon the person’s age, health history, and the type and stage of cancer detected.

Types of Radiation therapies

Radiation Therapy is of two types. They are:

1. External Beam: External beam radiation therapy uses high-energy radiation to target cancer. It treats only a specific part of the person’s body. For example, if you have breast cancer, you will have radiation only to your chest and not to your whole body. 
2. Internal Beam: In Internal beam radiation therapy, the doctor puts a radioactive source inside your body or near the tumor. It is sometimes left in the body to work or is removed after keeping it inside for a while.

Side Effects of Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy kills the unwanted cells in a person’s body. However, apart from the unwanted cells, it can also damage the surrounding healthy cells. The damage to the nearby healthy cells can cause various side effects in a person’s daily lifestyle. Some possible side effects are:

1. Treatment in the brain causes fatigue, hair loss, difficulty concentrating, nausea, headache, blurry vision, skin changes, etc.
2. Treatment in the breasts causes fatigue, hair loss, edema, tenderness, skin changes, etc.
3. Treatment in the chest causes fatigue, hair loss, trouble swallowing, cough, shortness of breath, skin changes, etc.
4. Treatment in the head and neck causes fatigue, hair loss, trouble swallowing, changes in taste, mouth problems, less active thyroid gland, skin changes, etc. 
5. Treatment in the pelvis causes fatigue, hair loss, diarrhea, nausea, sexual problems in men and women (leading to sterility), urinary and bladder problems, skin changes, etc.
6. Treatment in the rectum causes the same side effects as the pelvis. 

Treatment in the stomach and abdomen causes fatigue, hair loss, diarrhea, nausea, urinary and bladder problems, skin changes, etc.

How does Radiation Therapy affect Pregnancy/ Fertility?

If you are a female, you must inform the doctor in charge if you are pregnant. Also, if the radiation includes the ovaries or is near the ovaries, you should consult your doctor about it because radiation can cause harm to the growing baby. Make sure you are not pregnant or are planning pregnancy during the radiation therapy. Also, if the radiation therapy includes the ovaries, the chances of pregnancy are very less. So make sure to consult your doctor since radiation might affect your ovaries. 

If you are a male, you are not to indulge in sexual activities for bearing a child. Because of the radiation therapy, it is unclear how radiation affects a man’s sperm which will, in turn, affect the baby’s growth. It depends upon the radiation dosage, which can lead to a man losing his ability to develop the reproductive hormones and becoming sterile. If you are planning to extend your family, consult your doctor before getting radiation done.

What happens if cancer recurs?

A recurred cancer can be treated using another radiation methods. But before starting radiation therapy again, many things must be kept in check. Suppose you are to give radiation to a part of the body that has already received radiation earlier; it is uncertain that the same method will be used again. It might not be possible to use radiation in the same area since it depends upon the intensity of radiation used before. If the level of radiation used before was less, it could be used again in the same or different body areas. There are cases where some tumors don’t respond to radiation, in such cases other treatments are used. And if the cancer re- occurs, radiation still won’t be used.

Best Cancer Treatment Hospital

The City Hospital has the best cancer treatment in Jabalpur with the availability of the latest machines and technologies to treat cancer-related diseases. Our doctors, nurses, and medical/non-medical staff listen and answer every concern of the patient and their family members patiently. Therefore, if you are in Jabalpur or nearby, you should go to the City Hospital for any cancer-related treatments.

TESTIMONY

Mrs. Indra Verma, a uterus cancer patient says she received treatment in the City Hospital, Jabalpur. She claims that the medical staff in the hospital have contributed a lot during the whole radiation therapy treatment. She further states, “A cancer patient seeks sympathy the most during this period and the staff here understand that and treat the same accordingly. They did the same with me.” She adds that she is all better after the therapy she took from the City Hospital, Jabalpur.

DOCTOR’S VIDEO

Dr. Sunit Lokwani is a Medical Oncologist and Hematologist at the Cancer Center Unit in the City Hospital, Jabalpur. He states, “In my journey of two and a half years in this hospital, we have given over 2000-2200 chemotherapies and even more radio-therapies to patients. We have been able to completely cure many patients and help them lead an effective life.” He further adds, “The numbers are not to boast about the hospital’s success but to give hope to people living in vain. For the doctors, saving one life is equally important as saving many.”