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Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays to kill cancer
cells.There are different kinds of radiation therapy.
External beam radiation therapy
This type of radiation therapy focuses radiation delivered
from outside the body on the cancer. With liver cancer, this type of
radiation therapy can be used to shrink the cancer to relieve symptoms
such as pain. But it has not been shown to improve survival. Although
liver cancer cells are sensitive to the radiation, this treatment can't
be used at very high doses because normal liver tissue is also easily
damaged by radiation.
Radiation therapy is much like getting an x-ray, but the
radiation is more intense. The procedure itself is painless. Each
treatment lasts only a few minutes, although the setup time -- getting
you into place for treatment -- usually takes longer. Most often,
radiation treatments are given 5 days a week for several weeks.
Three-dimensional
conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT) is a newer form of
external-beam radiation therapy that uses sophisticated computers
to map the location of a tumor precisely. The patient is
fitted with a
plastic mold resembling a body cast to keep the body still so that the
radiation can be aimed more accurately. Radiation beams are then shaped
and aimed at the tumor from several directions. This allows doctors to
reduce radiation damage to normal liver tissue and therefore direct
higher doses of radiation at tumors. When available, conformal
radiation therapy is usually preferred over standard radiation therapy.
Radioembolization
As mentioned in the "Embolization
Therapy" section, a newer treatment
technique is to inject small radioactive beads into the hepatic
artery. They lodge in the liver near tumors and give off small amounts
of radiation that travel only a short distance.
Possible side effects of radiation therapy
Side effects of external radiation therapy might include
sunburn-like skin problems where the radiation enters the body, nausea,
vomiting, and fatigue. Often these go away after treatment. Radiation
might also make the side effects of chemotherapy worse.
Last Medical Review: 11/05/2009
Last Revised: 11/05/2009
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