The past decade has witnessed great advances in medical care, including in the field of cancer treatment. Radiation therapy, which is driven by very precise technology, is today a highly advanced method of treatment in radiation oncology.

Radiation oncology is a medical discipline that involves the use of high-energy radiation, such as X-rays or protons, to target and treat cancerous tumors. It is a critical component of cancer care, aiming to destroy or shrink cancer cells while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissues. Radiation oncologists work closely with a multidisciplinary team which includes a radiation oncologist, medical physicist, radiation technologists, and a nursing team along with allied workers to develop personalized treatment plans, ensuring the highest level of precision and effectiveness in delivering radiation therapy to patients. This modern technique plays a pivotal role in the comprehensive treatment of cancer, alongside surgery, chemotherapy, and other modalities, to improve patient outcomes and enhance the quality of their lives.

The Department of Radiation Oncology of Narayana Hospital – RN Tagore Hospital, Mukandapur, specializes in patient-centric, state-of-the-art treatment of world-class standards. The hospital covers a comprehensive range of services that include: 3DCRT (Three Dimensional Conformal Radiotherapy), VMAT (Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy), IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy), IGRT (Image Guided Radiotherapy), SRS (Stereotactic Radiosurgery), SBRT (Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy), and Electron Beam Radiotherapy.

Radiation therapy – overview

Radiation therapy is primarily used for killing or shrinking the cancer cells in size through the use of high-energy beams like X-rays, proton beams, etc. The procedure is highly effective in controlling and eradicating cancer, either as a primary treatment or in combination with surgery and chemotherapy.

Radiation oncologists are specialized doctors in the field and they carefully plan the whole process so that the delivery of radiation to the tumor is maximized and exposure to healthy surrounding tissues is minimized. This is achieved through advanced imaging techniques, such as CT scans and MRI, and computer programs that calculate the precise radiation dose.

Radiation is a highly targeted therapy. When the radiation is directed at the cancer-affected cell, the DNA inside it breaks, preventing the further growth of the cell. As a result, the cancer cell dies.

Types of Radiation Oncology

Primarily, there are two types of radiation oncology – External beam radiation and Internal radiation therapy.

External beam radiation is a specific type of treatment where the source of radiation is placed outside the body and only the affected body part receives the radiation, not the whole body. What is to be treated, how to do it and how much dose, along with the duration, is all decided and organized by the radiation oncologist. The case history and severity of the disease also play a deciding role in this process.

With the application of modern techniques, the advantages of modern external beam radiation have only increased. The techniques used for highly precise treatment of cancer are – Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), Image-Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT), and Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT).

This therapy is delivered in more than one session. The entire course is divided into multiple smaller doses. This may take a few days, weeks, or even months. This approach gives time to the surrounding healthy tissues to recover and thus minimizes the risk of damage to normal cells.

Internal Radiation Therapy is also known as brachytherapy. Here, the radioactive source is placed directly inside the body or very close to the tumor. The procedure involves the use of radioactive wires, which are then inserted into or near the tumor site. This type of treatment ensures a highly

concentrated dose of radiation to the cancerous cell, sparing the healthy tissues around it. This localized treatment helps increase the effectiveness of the therapy.

Brachytherapy can be either temporary or permanent, depending on the type of cancer and the stage of cancer. In temporary brachytherapy, the radioactive sources are removed from the body after a specified time, while in permanent brachytherapy the implants remain in the body.

Sometimes radiation is the only treatment a patient needs. Other times, it is combined with other cancer treatments like surgery, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy. For best results, it is given before, during, or after the other treatments. The timing of when radiation therapy is given depends on the type of cancer being treated and whether the goal of radiation therapy is to treat the cancer or to ease the symptoms.

Key benefits of radiation therapy

Radiation therapy is highly effective at destroying a significant portion of cancer cells within a tumor. It is a prime modality of therapy for many non-operable tumors including common sites of head and neck, lung, esophagus, prostate, and cervical cancers. Radiation therapy reduces the size of tumors and renders previously inoperable tumors amenable to surgical removal. When the treatment is combined with other methods of therapy, the effectiveness of the result is enhanced. For many common cancers, such as breast cancer, bowel cancer, uterine cancer, skin cancer, etc. radiation therapy is highly effective in reducing the risk of cancer recurrence if it is delivered either before or after surgery. In addition, this can also prevent surgical removal of body organs.

The Latest Technologies Used

Narayana Hospital – RN Tagore Hospital, Mukandapur incorporates the use of modern and highly advanced techniques in radiation therapy to ensure effective treatment.

For delivering advanced external beam radiation LINAC, a linear accelerator is used. This machine aims for radiation with a pinpoint accuracy that spares nearby normal tissues. Stereotactic radiosurgery and Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) impart highly precise and concentrated radiation to the exact location of a tumor. This technique is preferable for small-sized tumors where high doses can be given with precision.

Using various imaging technologies like CT scans, IGRT helps verify the position of the tumor immediately before or during radiation treatment (Onboard imaging).

Radiation oncology has emerged as a transformative force in the domain of cancer, reshaping the landscape of oncology care. Advancements in this field include cutting-edge technologies like stereotactic radiosurgery, proton therapy, and AI-driven treatment planning. This has altered the precision, effectiveness, and personalization of cancer treatment. These innovations offer new hope, minimizing side effects and targeting tumor with precise accuracy, ultimately enhancing patient outcomes and quality of life. As radiation oncology continues to evolve and merge with other medical disciplines, it paves the way for a brighter, more hopeful future in the fight against cancer.

About the author- Dr. Akanksha Anup, Associate Consultant, Radiation Oncology, Narayana Hospital – RN Tagore Hospital, Mukandapur