The Radiotherapy in Turkey and Istanbul
Cancer is a very dangerous disease and can infect many parts of the human body (breasts, prostate, blood, skin, stomach, …). Today, several types of effective treatments are offered by doctors to treat this disease. Radiotherapy is one of the most effective methods that aims to destroy the cancerous cells and block their proliferation. By using radiation, radiotherapy removes infected cells and preserves healthy tissue.
Thus, there are three types of radiotherapy in Turkey and Istanbul:
- External radiotherapy: Linear Particle Accelerator produces rays that get into the skin and exceeds healthy tissues to attack the infected part. It is a local tumor treatment performed by a radiation therapist.
- Brachytherapy: it is an internal radiotherapy, where the sources of radiation are located inside the patient’s body at a very short distance from the area to be treated (the tumor).
- Metabolic radiotherapy: it is used to treat certain types of thyroid cancer and Vaquez disease. It consists of orally administering a radioactive substance that attaches itself precisely to cancer cells and destroys them.
Before the treatment
Your first appointment will be with the radiation oncologist. He/she will summarize your medical records, perform a physical exam, and may prescribe tests. He/she will explain the treatment options and side effects. If you have questions about radiation therapy and your treatment, you can ask them to the radiation oncologist.
The side effects of radiotherapy
Radiotherapy is a painless technique that lasts a few minutes. It has been shown its effectiveness in the treatment of cancer diseases, but it has several side effects:
- Fatigue: This is a very common side effect and appears after a few weeks of starting treatment and can last for months. It disappears as soon as the radiation therapy ends. Fatigue is caused by loss of appetite, the movement to the hospital, and anemia.
- Skin problems: the rays pass through the skin to reach the infected cells, so the skin can turn red, dry, or itchy with a noticeable change in color.
- Hair loss: This is a temporary local loss that affects only the treated area. The hair will grow as soon as the treatment is over.
- Decreased blood cells: may be common if the radiotherapy is accompanied by Chemotherapy.
What will happen after the Intervention?
The radiation team monitors your progress throughout the treatment and adjusts the dose or duration of treatment as needed. They could do blood tests or imaging at different times during treatment to find out how the tumor responds to radiation therapy.
Your recovery during and after radiotherapy depends on the type of cancer, stage of cancer, radiation dose, and your overall health. Some people may continue to work and engage in their usual leisure activities while receiving radiotherapy. Others notice that they get tired easily and need to rest more.
Last update : 28/03/2020
