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Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays or particles to kill
cancer cells in a specific area of the body.
External-beam
radiation therapy is the type of radiation therapy often
used to treat stomach cancer. This treatment involves focusing the
radiation on the cancer from a machine outside the body. Having this
type of radiation therapy is like having an x-ray, except that each
treatment lasts longer, and the patient usually receives 5 treatments
per week over a period of weeks or months.
After surgery, radiation therapy can be used to kill very
small remnants of the cancer that cannot be seen and removed during
surgery. Radiation therapy, especially when combined with chemotherapy
drugs such as 5-FU may delay or prevent cancer recurrence after surgery
and may help patients live longer. Radiation therapy can also be used
to ease the symptoms of advanced stomach cancer, such as pain,
bleeding, and eating problems.
Side effects from radiation therapy for stomach cancer can
include:
- mild skin problems at the site where the radiation was
aimed
- nausea and vomiting
- diarrhea
- fatigue
These usually go away within several weeks after the treatment
is finished. Radiation therapy may also make the side effects of
chemotherapy worse. Blood counts can also go down (see "Side effects of
chemotherapy" in the "Chemotherapy"
section), especially when combined with chemotherapy. Please be sure to
talk with your doctor about these side effects since there are ways to
relieve them. It is also very important that you receive your treatment
at a center that has experience in treating stomach cancer.
Last Medical Review: 11/07/2008
Last Revised: 05/14/2009
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