Radiation Therapy
This treatment does not need any sort of incision and is a painless treatment. The use of high energy beam of photons or X-rays to kill the cancerous cells is called radiation therapy. The radiation therapy most often used to treat cancer cells is called external beam radiation therapy. In these radiation therapies, the source of radiations is placed around the body.
Radiation therapy can have many different goals:
- Before the surgery to shrink the tumor this type of surgery is called neo-adjuvant therapy
- After the surgery to kill nearby cells of the tumor where the surgery is difficult to perform. This type of surgery is called adjuvant therapy
- To relieve the symptoms in elderly patients
- When the cancer has spread beyond the pancreas.
Types of radiation therapy
- Traditional radiation therapy:
In this type of radiation, the therapy several radiation therapy sessions are conducted comprising of low energy radiations for a longer span of time.
- Proton beam therapy:
In this type of therapy, a high energy proton beam is used instead of X-rays to kill cancer cells.
- Stereotactic body radiation:
During this treatment, the tumor is exposed to high energy beam of radiations for a short amount of time.
Side effects of radiation therapy:
- Weight loss
- Bruising and peeling of skin where radiations were pointed
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite