Radiotherapy has Emerged as a Mainstay Cancer Treatment
This therapy or radiation therapy has emerged as one of the most commonly used treatment options for cancer. It uses high-energy rays or particles to destroy cancer cells and shrink tumors. This works by damaging the DNA of cells, making it difficult for them to multiply. Though surgery and chemotherapy are also major treatment modalities, this offers non-invasive and targeted treatment to many cancer patients.

External Beam Radiotherapy and its Types
External beam therapy uses a machine outside the body to administer radiation therapy. The machine aims high-energy beams, such as X-rays or proton beams, at the area of the body where cancer cells are located. Some common types of external beam therapy include:

- 3D Conformal therapy: It uses advanced imaging and computing technologies to precisely target radiation beams on tumors and reduce radiation exposure to healthy tissues.

- Intensity Modulated therapy: It is an advanced form of 3D conformal therapy. It modulates or controls the intensity of the radiation beam to more accurately treat tumors.

- Stereotactic therapy: It delivers very precise radiation doses in fewer treatment sessions to small tumors. It can be used in case of brain, lung and other cancers.

- Proton Beam Therapy: Instead of X-rays, it uses streams of protons to treat cancers. Proton beams can target tumors more precisely while minimizing dose to surrounding healthy tissues.

Internal Radiotherapy or Brachytherapy
In this method, a sealed radioactive source is placed directly inside the body, in close proximity to the tumor. This allows delivery of very high doses of radiation to tumor sites while limiting radiation exposure to surrounding normal tissues. Brachytherapy is used to treat several cancers like cervical, prostate, breast and eye cancers. Temporary or permanent implant placed directly in tumor delivers localized radiation.

Advances in Radiotherapy Improving Treatment Outcomes
Technological advances are helping deliver more accurate and effective therapy. Imaging modalities like CT, MRI, PET combined with advanced treatment planning software allows designing personalized radiation treatment plans. Newer techniques like IMRT, IGRT, SBRT, proton therapy ensure dose conforms better to tumor shape and location while avoiding healthy tissues. Development of more compact and computer-controlled linear accelerators allows delivering radiation beams from multiple angles around patient with great precision and accuracy. Particle accelerators have enabled use of particle beams like protons and carbon ions with better dose distribution than photon beams. Adaptive therapy utilizing repeated imaging helps account for tumor and normal tissue changes during treatment course. Overall, advances are improving treatment outcomes with therapy for several cancers.

Combining Radiotherapy with Other Modalities
This therapy is often combined with other treatment modalities to harness synergistic effects. Concurrent chemotherapy or chemo-RT involving administration of chemotherapy and radiation therapy together is a standard treatment option for several cancers including head & neck, cervix, esophagus, rectal etc. It helps radiosensitize tumor cells to radiation and improves treatment outcomes. Immunotherapy drugs when combined with radiation therapy help stimulate anti-tumor immune response and have shown promising results in clinical trials. Combining radiation therapy with thermal ablation techniques also holds potential. Integrating imaging, big data and artificial intelligence capabilities in radiation therapy process will further enhance treatment precision and effectiveness in future.

Rising Role of Radiation Therapy in Cancer Management
Globally, about 60% of all cancer patients require radiation therapy during their treatment journey. Radiotherapy plays a key curative or palliative role in management of majority of cancer cases at some stage of the disease. As radiation therapy offers non-invasive local-regional treatment with good outcomes, its role is increasing compared to invasive surgeries and toxic chemotherapy regimens in management of several cancers. Early integration of radiation therapy especially in curable stages of disease along with other modalities improves survival rates. With expanding therapeutic ratios due to dosimetric and technological improvements, radiation therapy is enabling treatment of tumors which were earlier considered inoperable or needing mutilating surgeries. This makes it a preferable option for several patients. Overall, radiation therapy is emerging as the cornerstone of modern cancer management.

About Author:

Ravina Pandya, Content Writer, has a strong foothold in the market research industry. She specializes in writing well-researched articles from different industries, including food and beverages, information and technology, healthcare, chemical and materials, etc. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ravina-pandya-1a3984191