Tin tức & Bài báo

Radiation therapy is a common treatment for cancer, but many people get it wrong. Dr. Lee Kuo Ann, a radiation therapist at Parkway Cancer Center, has come up with some myths.

The advantages of using radiation therapy to treat cancer are enormous. It is a non-invasive method and preserves organ function. It is one of the most common cancer treatments – with a palliative, complementary and curative role. Cancers of the breast, brain, head and neck, prostate, bladder, cervix and uterus, skin, lung, esophagus, anus, and lymph nodes are often treated with radiation therapy. However, there are some common misconceptions about radiation therapy. Here are some misunderstandings.

Myth 1: Radiation will make me lose my hair

Unlike chemotherapy, which affects the whole body, hair loss after radiation only occurs in the area of ​​radiation. Breast irradiation, for example, can cause hair loss in the armpits, but not hair loss. Hair loss occurs only during brain radiation.

Misunderstanding 2: Radiation therapy hurts

Like an x-ray, radiation therapy feels nothing and is completely painless. However, after a few weeks, there may be pain and dry skin in the radiation area. If radiation is given to the head and neck area, mouth or throat ulcers may occur. If radiation is in the pelvic region, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, or urgency may occur. Those symptoms are only temporary and can often be alleviated with medication.

Myth 3: Radiation will make me radioactive

Most radiation therapy, both internal and external, does not leave any radioactive substances in the body, so the patient will not be exposed to radiation after the treatment, and is absolutely safe for those around them. children and also share food with others.

Only in special treatments are there radioactive substances in the human body. In these cases, the doctor will have clear instructions with the patient to take safety measures for the patient and family. Examples of this treatment are the long-term implantation of radioactive iodine seeds for prostate cancer treatment and radioactive iodine treatment for thyroid cancer.

Myth 4: Radiation therapy increases breast cancer risk

Radiation therapy greatly increases the risk of cancer in the area being irradiated. For adults, the risk of cancer from radiation is only about 1 in 150 to 200 people receiving radiation.

The benefit of radiation therapy in curing cancer or reducing the risk of recurrence after surgery is many times greater than the risk of cancer from radiation therapy.

Myth 5: Radiation causes a gene mutation and I will pass it on to my child

Although radiation therapy can induce cell mutations in the irradiated area, most of them are corrected by the cells' self-repair mechanisms. Radiation therapy also usually does not involve gonadal cells in the testes or ovaries and therefore will not be passed on to the patient's offspring.

When radiation to a pregnant woman is necessary, special care must be taken to avoid radiation to the fetus. If a patient suspects she may be pregnant, she should tell the medical team before planning radiation.

Myth 6: Radiation therapy will cause cancer to metastasize

Radiation therapy is also often given for symptom relief, often after the cancer has recurred and is resistant to chemotherapy and has metastasized, or when the patient is too weak to receive other therapies.

Late stage cancer will happen no matter what you do. In these cases, the patient's relatives may have a misunderstanding that radiation therapy should be treated early before death causes the tumor to grow and the patient to die. This is not correct.