1 / 23

RADIATION THERAPY

RADIATION THERAPY. Vipin Patidar. Radiation therapy is the use of certain type of energy ( called ionizing radiation) to kill the cancer cells and shrink tumors In radiation therapy, ionizing radiation is used to interrupt cellular growth. More than half of patients with cancer receive a

juliee
Download Presentation

RADIATION THERAPY

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. RADIATION THERAPY Vipin Patidar www.vipinpatidar.wordpress.com

  2. Radiation therapy is the use of certain type of energy ( called ionizing radiation) to kill the cancer cells and shrink tumors • In radiation therapy, ionizing radiation is used to interrupt cellular growth. • More than half of patients with cancer receive a form of radiation therapy at some point during treatment. www.vipinpatidar.wordpress.com

  3. Indication for radiation therapy Radiation may be used to cure the cancer, as in Hodgkin’s disease, thyroid carcinomas, localized cancers of the head and neck, and cancers of the uterine cervix. Radiation therapy may also be used to control malignant disease when a tumor cannot be removed surgically or when local nodal metastasis is present, or it can be used prophylactically to prevent leukemic infiltration to the brain or spinal cord. www.vipinpatidar.wordpress.com

  4. Palliative radiation therapy is used to relieve the symptoms of metastatic disease, especially when the cancer has spread to brain, bone, or soft tissue, or to treat oncologic emergencies, such as spinal cord compression. www.vipinpatidar.wordpress.com

  5. Aim of radiotherapy The aim of radiotherapy is to cure cancer, wherever possible while limiting harm to nearby healthy tissue Where cure is not possible ,the aim is the relief of symptoms( palliation) of cancer, thereby improving person’s wellbeing www.vipinpatidar.wordpress.com

  6. Radiation therapy team Radiation oncologist – a doctor who specializes in using radiation to treat cancer Dosimetrist – who determines the proper radiation dose Radiation physicist – who makes sure that machine delivers the right amount of radiation to the correct site in the body Radiation therapist – who gives radiation treatment www.vipinpatidar.wordpress.com

  7. Radiation oncologist also works with the medical or pediatric oncologist, surgeon, radiolost,pathologist. www.vipinpatidar.wordpress.com

  8. Action of radiotherapy Radiotherapy works by destroying cells, either directly or by interfering with cell reproduction using high energy xrays,electron beams or radioactive isotopes www.vipinpatidar.wordpress.com

  9. Two types of ionizing radiation— EXTERNAL RADIATION(TELETHERAPY) -electromagnetic rays (x-rays and gamma rays) INTERNAL RADIATION (BRACHYTHERAPY)- particles (electrons [beta particles], protons gamma rays) can lead to tissue disruption. The most harmful tissue disruption is the alteration of the DNA molecule within the cells of the tissue. Ionizing radiation breaks the strands of the DNA helix, leading to cell death www.vipinpatidar.wordpress.com

  10. External Radiation It is also called telethrapy is administerd by a machine at a certain distance from specific area of the body If external radiation therapy is used, one of several delivery methods may be chosen, depending on the depth of the tumor. Depending on the amount of energy they contain, x-rays can be used to destroy cancerous cells at the skin surface or deeperin the body. The higher the energy, the deeper the penetration into the body.. www.vipinpatidar.wordpress.com

  11. Kilovoltage therapy devices deliver the maximal radiation dose to superficial lesions, such as lesions of the skin and breast betatron machines produce higher-energy x-rays and deliver their dosage to deeper structures with less harm to the skin and less scattering of radiation within the body tissues. Gamma rays are another form of energy used in radiation therapy www.vipinpatidar.wordpress.com

  12. Internal Radiation Internal radiation implantation, or brachytherapy, delivers a high dose of radiation to a localized area. The specific radioisotope for implantation is selected on the basis of its half-life This internal radiation can be implanted by means of needles,or catheters into body cavities (vagina, abdomen, pleura) or interstitial compartments (breast). Brachy therapy may also be administered orally as with the isotope I131, used to treat thyroid carcinomas www.vipinpatidar.wordpress.com

  13. Intracavitary radioisotopes are frequently used to treat gynecologic cancers. In these malignancies, the radioisotopes are inserted into specially positioned applicators after the position is verified by x-ray. These radioisotopes remain in place for a prescribed period and then are removed. Patients are maintained on bed rest. An indwelling urinary catheter is inserted to ensure that the bladder remains empty. Low-residue diets and antidiarrheal agents, such as diphenoxylate (Lomotil), are provided to prevent bowel movement during therapy, to prevent the radioisotopes from being displaced. www.vipinpatidar.wordpress.com

  14. Because patients receiving internal radiation emit radiation while the implant is in place, contacts with the health care team are guided by principles of time, distance, and shielding to minimize exposure of personnel to radiation. Time :- minimize time spent in close proximity to patient Shielding :- lead shielding can provide additional saftey from radiation Distance :-maximise the distance from the radioactive material . www.vipinpatidar.wordpress.com

  15. Safety precautions used in caring for the patient receiving brachytherapy include assigning the person to a private room, posting appropriate notices about radiation safety precautions, having staff members wear dosimeter badges that measures the radiation dose at each exposure, making sure that pregnant staff members are not assigned to this patient’s care, prohibiting visits by children or pregnant visitors,limiting visits from others to 30 minutes daily, and seeing that visitors maintain a 6-foot distance from the radiation source www.vipinpatidar.wordpress.com

  16. Radiation Dosage The radiation dosage is dependent on the sensitivity of the target tissues to radiation and on the tumor size www.vipinpatidar.wordpress.com

  17. SIDE EFFECTS • Acute local reactions • Altered skin integrity is a common effect and can include alopecia (hair loss), erythema, and shedding of skin (desquamation). www.vipinpatidar.wordpress.com

  18. Alterations in oral mucosa secondary to radiation therapy include stomatitis, xerostomia (dryness of the mouth), change and loss of taste, and decreased salivation. • The entire gastrointestinal mucosa may be involved, and esophageal irritation with chest pain and dysphagia may result. • Anorexia, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may occur if the stomach or colon is in the irradiated field. Symptoms subside and gastrointestinal reepithelialization occurs after treatments are complete www.vipinpatidar.wordpress.com

  19. Nursing Management in Radiation Therapy • The patient receiving radiation therapy and the family often have questions and concerns about its safety. • To answer questions and allay fears about the effects of radiation on others, on the tumor, and on the patient’s normal tissues and organs, the nurse can explain the procedure for delivering radiation and describe the equipment, the duration of the procedure (often minutes only), the possible need for immobilizing the patient during the procedure, and the absence of new sensations, including pain, during the procedure www.vipinpatidar.wordpress.com

  20. If a radioactive implant is used, the nurse informs the patient and family about the restrictions placed on visitors and health care personnel and other radiation precautions. Patients also need to understand their own role before, during, and after the procedure www.vipinpatidar.wordpress.com

  21. PROTECTING THE SKIN AND ORAL MUCOSA • The nurse assesses the patient’s skin, nutritional status, and general feeling of well-being. • The skin and oral mucosa are assessed frequently for changes (particularly if radiation therapy is directedto these areas). • The skin is protected from irritation, and the patient is instructed to avoid using ointments, lotions, or powders on the area. www.vipinpatidar.wordpress.com

  22. Gentle oral hygiene is essential to remove debris, prevent irritation, and promote healing. If systemic symptoms, such as weakness and fatigue, occur, the patient may need assistance with activities of daily living and personal hygiene. Additionally, the nurse offers reassurance by explaining that these symptoms are a result of the treatment and do not represent deterioration or progression of the disease www.vipinpatidar.wordpress.com

  23. PROTECTING THE CAREGIVERS When a patient has a radioactive implant in place, nurses and other health care providers need to protect themselves as well as the patient from the effects of radiation. Specific instructions are usually provided by the radiation safety officer from the x-ray department. The instructions identify the maximum time that can be spent safely in the patient’s room, the shielding equipment to be used, and special precautions and actions to be taken if the implant is dislodged. The nurse should explain the rationale for these precautions to keep the patient from feeling unduly isolated. www.vipinpatidar.wordpress.com

More Related