StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Radiation Therapy Issues - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
The essay "Radiation Therapy Issues" focuses on the critical analysis of the major issues in radiation therapy. Radiation therapy aims to deliver a precisely measured dose of radiation to a defined tumour volume with as little damage as possible to the surrounding tissue…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER93.8% of users find it useful
Radiation Therapy Issues
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Radiation Therapy Issues"

Radiation therapy aims to deliver a precisely measured dose of radiation to a defined tumour volume with as little damage as possible to the surrounding tissue (Yarbro, Wujcik, & Gobel, 2011, 250). It involves the use of ionizing radiation to eradicate the tumour, promote high-quality life, and prolong survival at an affordable cost in treating benign and malignant diseases.

The development and use of radiation therapy has evolved over the past centuries. The foundation of radiation therapy started when a German physicist named Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen discovered the X-ray in 1895. At the same time, Antoine Henri Becquerel discovered the radioactivity in Uranium while Marie and Pierre Curie discovered polonium and radium. Then on, radiobiologic experiments done during the early 1900s were in line with radiation therapy, among which include the law of Bergonié and Tribondeau which states that radiosensitivity is highest in tissues with the highest mitotic index and lowest in well-differentiated tissues (Yarbro, Wujcik, & Gobel, 2011, 251). Meanwhile, experiments conducted during the 1920s-1940s led to fractionation, treatment of deep tumours with X-ray, and brachytherapy with radium. Cobalt therapy became the standard for treatment in the 1950s, first-linear accelerators were developed, and combined-modality treatment was pursued in clinical trials. The combination of both technological and scientific advances has led to the emergence of 3D conformal radiation therapy treatment planning. Over the centuries, many refinements have been made to address toxicities and complications derived from radiotherapy, meet patient care needs, and maximize treatment doses while preserving the quality of life and survival.

Radiotherapy treats various forms of both benign and malignant cancer but this therapy can also be used to treat lupus erythematous, rodent ulcer, epithelioma, and tuberculosis during the early times after the discovery of X-ray and radium (Goroll & Mulley, 2009, 701).

The energy levels used in modern-day therapeutic X-ray machines depend upon the size, shape, and location of the tumour. Therapeutic X-rays aim to eradicate and destroy cancerous tissues and tumours, with wavelengths ranging up to 100 A (amperes) and energy levels that vary according to radiosensitivity. In addition, the development of X-ray machines for therapeutic use has been concerned with the production of higher energy beams and ordered the highest photon energy levels with conventional X-ray tubes to be 0.1 MeV to extend up to 40 MeV (Hollins, 2001, 140). With various forms of cancer and treatment modalities, the energy levels used in each therapeutic X-ray machine will be differentiated according to cancer type and prospective treatment.

The emergence of computers and the technological era have led to advances in imaging technologies in radiotherapy. From two-dimensional X-ray images and hand calculations, the delivery of radiotherapy evolved to three-dimensional x-ray-based images with increasingly complex computer algorithms (Bucci, Bevan, & Roach, 2005, 117). Other recent advances include four-dimensional (4D) conformal radiotherapy and the megavoltage cone-beam CT (MVCT) which will allow the reconstruction of the actual daily-delivered dose based on the patient’s anatomy in real-time or adaptive radiotherapy. A more sophisticated form of radiotherapy called intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) has become the standard therapy at many academic and private institutions.

Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(Not Found (#404) - StudentShare, n.d.)
Not Found (#404) - StudentShare. https://studentshare.org/medical-science/1775564-radiation-therapy
(Not Found (#404) - StudentShare)
Not Found (#404) - StudentShare. https://studentshare.org/medical-science/1775564-radiation-therapy.
“Not Found (#404) - StudentShare”. https://studentshare.org/medical-science/1775564-radiation-therapy.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Radiation Therapy Issues

Radiation and Biological Effects

Radiation Hazards to Crews of Interplanetary Missions: Biological issues and Research Strategies.... This research paper "radiation and Biological Effects" perfectly demonstrate shows that radiation is energy that travels in the form of high-speed particles or waves.... Other uses of man-made radiation are in the generation of energy for daily use (in nuclear power plants) and in fabricating nuclear weapons.... While some forms of radiation are useful or beneficial, other forms, particularly high-dose radiations, are associated with adverse biological effects....
7 Pages (1750 words) Research Paper

Radiobiology of proton therapy, heavy ion therapy and neutron therapy

Radiobiology of Proton therapy, Heavy Ion therapy and Neutron therapy [Name] [Institution] Radiobiology of Proton therapy, Heavy Ion therapy and Neutron therapy Introduction Charged particle therapy currently plays a critical role in the treatment and management of cancer.... Particle beam therapy modalities are primarily based on the biological response of living cells to ionizing radiation....
10 Pages (2500 words) Essay

Nasal Radium Irradiation Technique

he methods of treatment of cancer include-surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy and biologic therapy.... The public has the right to know more regarding such issues. ... NRI therapy also was used in Canada and several European countries, including the Netherlands, where at least 24,500 patients were estimated to have been treated. ... Surgery is used to remove a tumor-which is localized, hence surgery is considered as local therapy....
8 Pages (2000 words) Essay

Factors that Influence Tissue Response to Radiation

xternal Beam radiation therapy (EBRT): ... xternal beam radiation therapy (EBRT) is one such radiation therapy technique used to treat cancer cells.... ong-term curative one radiation therapy remains one of the most effective palliative one where entire excision of the tumour is not possible.... hus, with radiation therapy the only means of palliation remaining at the hands of the treatment administrator many strategies are utilised to keep the normal tissue from being implicated in the radiation therapy....
11 Pages (2750 words) Essay

Prostate Cancer Radiation Therapy Threatment

The present review of the literature, although not exhaustive, achieves in documenting at least three possible sources of error in the prognosis of prostate cancer.... The objective of this review is to identify the lacunae in the current management strategies of prostate cancer.... .... ... ... Prostate cancer (PC) is the third leading cause of death among men in the developed world....
13 Pages (3250 words) Literature review

Physics (Electron Physics and X-ray Tomography)

The radiation becomes intense and attains higher frequencies with increase in energy of bombarding electrons.... The curve shown below was produced by analysing the nature of radiation produced by bombarding electrons from four distinct energy levels against a tungsten target.... -ray tube functions as energy converting system that converts electric energy into x-ray radiation and heat....
7 Pages (1750 words) Coursework

The Risks Associated with Ionizing Radiation in Medical Imaging Practice

Principles of radiation therapy.... The use of pharmaceuticals labeled with radionuclides for the diagnosis or therapy is called nuclear medicine.... This research will begin with the statement that in the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum the portion that represents sufficient energy that is enough to pass through matter and actually extricate orbital electrons to form charged ions is termed as ionizing radiation.... THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH IONIZING radiation IN MEDICAL IMAGING PRACTICE, AND THE PRECAUTION REQUIRED TO PROTECT AGAINST THEM ...
10 Pages (2500 words) Assignment

History of Proton Therapy

This paper ''History of Proton therapy'' tells that Since the year 1954, the United States has introduced 18 different proton therapy facilities that became operational.... The expectations from the first hospital located in California, USA, all the available facilities used dedicated proton beams external....
21 Pages (5250 words) Report
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us