What Are Hemangiomas And How Can Low-Dose Radiotherapy Help?

The treatment potential of radiotherapy for a wide range of benign conditions has, for many years, long been underrecognised.

Whilst it is one of the three first-line treatments for cancer alongside chemotherapy and conventional surgery, radiotherapy can be used to treat a wide variety of benign conditions, including those that cause chronic pain, hormone imbalances and conditions that are more cosmetic in nature.

An unusual condition that radiotherapy can help with when required is hemangioma, a benign growth of blood vessels sometimes known as strawberry birthmarks because of their vivid appearance.

Sometimes they go away on their own or never need treatment, but in other cases, they can start to cause issues beyond simply how they look.

To understand the difference, it is important to understand what hemangiomas are, what causes them and when they need a visit to a radiotherapy centre to fix them.

What Is A Hemangioma?

Hemangiomas are a bright red benign noncancerous growth that grows due to the abnormal development of blood vessels.

Often confused with other types of birthmarks, they are the most common type of tumour or growth in children, and tend to appear on the skin or the subcutaneous layer just underneath the skin, although internal hemangiomas of the liver, intestines, brain and lungs are not uncommon.

Unlike similar blood vessel abnormalities such as varicose veins, it is not entirely clear as to why they develop, although some theories posit that certain proteins produced during gestation by placental cells can cause blood vessel growth, but more evidence is needed to prove a causal link.

Alternatively, hemangiomas can appear later in life in a form most commonly known as cherry angiomas. They are usually much smaller, with even the largest being less than a centimetre in diameter, and tend to appear more commonly in middle age.

How Common Are They?

Hemangioma appear in one in every 20 births, making them more common, but because they vary so much in terms of effects, some of these five per cent of cases are not immediately noticed and may never be noticed.

Whilst the most visible are those that appear on the skin, typically on the face or the top of the head, a lot also form on various internal organs without causing any effects.

According to some studies, there is an increased risk of them forming if a family member has had them, if a baby was born prematurely, if they weighed less than 2 pounds at birth, or if they are female and are white.

How Are They Diagnosed?

Typically, they are diagnosed on sight. They are relatively common in newborn children and have a characteristic enough look to be readily diagnosed as a hemangioma.

However, a biopsy, ultrasound, CT or MRI scan can alternatively be used to confirm a hemangioma if it is deep enough in the body that it cannot be diagnosed by sight, or there needs to be additional tests to rule out other possible conditions.

When Do They Need Treating?

Typically, hemangiomas do not need to be treated at all. If they form at birth, they will tend to fade within the first five years of a child’s life, and almost all of them will disappear within ten years.

They are typically not painful, do not affect any bodily functions and in some cases are not even noticeable. Even in some cases where they appear on the skin, they tend to fade quickly and are not always noticeable.

However, if a hemangioma grows in a place that is more cosmetically important, it can still be distressing, and whilst treatment is not medically necessary, it can still be very important, especially if they do not go away.

In other cases, a hemangioma can be potentially harmful or even dangerous. This is usually the case if they change colour from the strawberry red that they initially appear, burst and start bleeding, get infected, or develop near the throat, eyes, mouth or chin, as this can cause more long-term issues.

As well as this, if they infect the liver or a digestive organ, it can cause stomach aches, vomiting, nausea or a loss of appetite consistent with other liver disease, and at that point they may need to be treated.

How Can Radiotherapy Help?

Radiotherapy has a long and consistent tradition of helping with skin conditions and a dose targets abnormal blood vessels to reduce the size and appearance of the hemangioma over time.

Alternatively, beta blockers can be used to help treat hemangiomas in both oral and topical form, as can topical corticosteroids. Conventional surgery can also be used as a last resort.