External radiotherapy

Amethyst Austria Featured In Die Presse

Amethyst Radiotherapy Austria is proud to announce that it has been featured in daily broadsheet newspaper Die Presse, covering the precise cancer treatments available at the centre, including advanced imaging and highly accurate therapy application.

What sets radiotherapy treatment here apart is that the tumour is targeted exclusively, with healthy tissue protected. By using precise imaging and applications, practitioners are able to apply the therapy exactly where it needs to be, which minimises the risk to healthy tissue.

For example, in one case study, a patient presented with recurrent aggressive meningioma in the meninges. She had already had surgery and radiation therapy, but opted to seek help from Amethyst Radiotherapy Austria to prevent a relapse.

Because of previous treatment and the specific location of the tumour, further surgery wasn’t possible and conventional approaches to radiation therapy would bring with it significant risks.

As an alternative, we focused on advanced PET-CT imaging with stereotactic radiotherapy, using identical immobilisation and positioning techniques, with submillimeter precision.

This ensured that the treatment could be focused exclusively on the actively growing areas, making administration of a second curative dose possible.

If you’d like to find out more about Amethyst Radiotherapy Austria’s approach to cancer treatment, get in touch with the team today.

gamma knife radiosurgery - physician prepares patient for the procedure on the Gamma Knife

How Long Is Gamma Knife Radiosurgery From Start To Finish?

Many cancer treatments, from radiotherapy to chemotherapy, take multiple sessions and quite some time for the treatment to fully take effect, in order to balance their powerful effects with recovery and life’s responsibilities.

One exception to this is stereotactic radiosurgery, which, through highly powerful doses of radiation, targets tumours and lesions in the brain over time.

It is sometimes compared to a surgery, to the point of even being called Gamma Knife radiosurgery, but unlike invasive treatments to remove brain tumours, there is no need for an overnight stay, typically no need for general anaesthesia and no stitches.

How long does stereotactic take from start to finish? It can vary depending on the exact treatment plan, but here is the general progression of treatment and how long each step usually takes.

How Long Does It Take For Treatment Teams To Decide On Gamma Knife Radiosurgery?

One of the longest stages of the treatment is the initial consultation and treatment planning phase, both of which are done before any treatment is agreed to.

Oncologists and a cancer team need to agree that stereotactic radiosurgery is the best course of action to treat your brain tumour; they need to determine the complexity of the treatment, how much planning will be required ahead of time, and how urgent treatment is.

How Long Does Preparation Take For Gamma Knife Radiosurgery?

Preparing for radiosurgery involves a pre-treatment physical exam to ensure that you can lie flat on your back for the time it takes to undergo the procedure, further scans of your brain to allow specialist radiation oncologists to plan the procedure and preparations to ensure the frame or mask fits snugly on your head.

You will be given advice ahead of time, specific to your treatment, including:

  • Avoiding eating or drinking anything after midnight the day before your treatment.
  • Taking any medications before the treatment with sips of water, and ensuring that any medications you need to take that day are brought with you to the clinic.
  • Washing your scalp, not using hair products and keeping hair loose to avoid interfering with the treatment.
  • Wearing comfortable, loose-fitting clothing.
  • Ensuring you have arrangements to get to and from the clinic.

How Long Does Planning Take For Gamma Knife Radiosurgery?

The planning stage and the actual treatment often take place on the same day, but they can take place on separate days in some circumstances.

The initial planning steps involve the administration of an IV with a contrast agent and sedatives.

The former helps with imaging tests to ensure pinpoint accuracy with Gamma Knife treatment, whilst the sedatives can help provide relaxation during the planning and treatment stages.

The imaging tests themselves, which can use computed tomography (CT scans), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI scans), or both, will determine the exact target treatment area, the size of a tumour and guide the advanced planning of the treatment.

The IV can take several minutes to take effect, the scans can take roughly half an hour, and the planning typically takes at least an hour.

This appointment can take at least three hours, including the time it takes to recover from any required sedatives.

How Long Does Gamma Knife Treatment Take?

Gamma Knife therapy itself can vary in length, depending on the complexity of the treatment.

You will once again have an IV drip fitted if the planning and treatment take place on separate days, before you lie on the treatment table, and a frame or mesh mask is secured to your head and to the table to ensure that the treatment is as accurate as possible.

The radiation is then administered remotely using a highly advanced machine that focuses several beams onto a single point to maximise accuracy whilst minimising radiation.

This process can take as little as 30 minutes and as long as four hours, depending on the complexity of the treatment plan, how many doses of radiation are required and how much the machine needs to move around your head.

Once the treatment is completed, a chime will sound, the frame will be removed, and the IV will be taken out. You will then be taken to a recovery room to be monitored before typically being free to go home.

Most of the time, the planning and treatment stages are undertaken on the same day, and the appointment can take up to 12 hours.

How Long Does It Take To Recover From Gamma Knife Radiosurgery?

Most of the time, you can go home the same day, although in some cases you may be asked to stay in the clinic overnight for additional monitoring.

You can typically return to your normal schedule within a week, although you may receive additional instructions to manage the pain, how to clean and dress any scratches and how to speed up recovery.

radiotherapy centre - cancer patient woman wearing head scarf

Why Is Early Diagnosis So Important For Cancer Treatment?

As a specialist cancer treatment centre specialising in radiotherapy, we know how important it is to have as many treatment options as possible.

Every cancer is unique in terms of its location, stage, rate of progression, and which treatments are best suited to take care of it. The more options that are available, the more effective a treatment plan will be, and the less invasive the treatments will have to be.

One of the best ways to provide as many options as possible is early diagnosis, as cancerous tumours and growths found at an early stage are typically far less complex and more comprehensive in destroying all traces of cancer.

Why is this the case? Why are there delays in diagnosing cancer? And do screening programmes designed to detect cancer sooner help to expedite treatment?

What Is Early Cancer Diagnosis?

The early diagnosis of cancer is when a tumour is discovered before it has grown or progressed to any significant degree.

Generally, an early diagnosis is when a test positively confirms that a growth, lesion or tumour is cancerous during its early stages. Typically, this means either:

  • Stage 0 – The earliest stage, where abnormal cells have been found but have not spread.
  • Stage I – Where a small tumour is discovered but is localised to the place where it originated.
  • Stage II – Where a tumour has grown and may have spread to lymph nodes near the point of origin, but has not embedded itself significantly into surrounding tissues or bodily systems.

Does Early Cancer Diagnosis Matter?

Early cancer diagnosis matters because the optimal outcome of cancer treatment is destroying the cancer in the body entirely without damaging healthy tissue. The smaller the tumour is, the easier this is to accomplish.

It also matters for aggressive cancers, which can spread quickly, as finding and eradicating a tumour early can avoid more intensive treatment later on.

As well as this, early detection means that far more treatment options are available, and less invasive treatments can be used to remove all detectable cancer cells.

For example, a Stage III or Stage IV cancer may require a combination of radiotherapy, chemotherapy and surgery to remove, sometimes requiring procedures to be undertaken in stages. An earlier Stage I version of the same cancer could be removed using radiotherapy alone.

What Can Cause A Delay In Diagnosing Cancer?

Research shows that a quarter of cancer cases are diagnosed in hospital emergency rooms, which often implies later stages of progression and more serious symptoms.

Why is this the case? There are a few reasons why this can be the case:

  • Some cancers have no symptoms at all in the early stages or symptoms that are mistaken for less serious conditions.
  • Because of this, people do not visit their doctor or seek out medical advice.
  • Delays in oncology referrals sometimes occur in rare cancer cases where a specialist is required to make a definitive diagnosis.
  • The cancer is rare or not part of a typical screening routine.

Do Cancer Screening Programmes Help Diagnose Cancer Early?

The World Health Organisation makes a distinction between early cancer diagnosis and cancer screening programmes, with the former being an individual approach between a person and their doctor, consulting specialists and the cancer team.

The latter, on the other hand, is a specialist approach that checks people without symptoms using simple, often self-administered tests for signs of common cancers.

As these are national programmes, they vary wildly by region, but they are often used to check for common cancers where early detection significantly helps treatment outcomes, such as:

  • Breast Cancer.
  • Bowel Cancer.
  • Cervical Cancer.
  • Lung Cancer.
  • Prostate Cancer.

Whilst not suitable for every type of cancer, they are highly beneficial for the early stages of common cancer types, where symptoms can be mistaken for other conditions.

How Can You Help Diagnose Cancer Early?

Outside of taking part in cancer screenings, which can help significantly in detecting cancer early and helping you get the treatment you need sooner, the best way to help diagnose cancer is to listen to your body and trust your instincts if something does not feel right.

If you notice anything unusual, talk to your doctor, even if you otherwise feel fine. It may not be cancer, but it is far more important to get it checked and rule that out rather than wait and potentially complicate future treatment.

radiotherapy centre - woman hold her shoulder in pain

What Treatments Are Available For Shoulder Osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis of the shoulder is not discussed as frequently as other forms of osteoarthritis, such as that in the hip or knee. But it can be a painful condition that restricts your movement if it goes untreated.

Although shoulder osteoarthritis is not as common as hip or knee osteoarthritis, it is still estimated that one in three people over the age of 60 have some level of osteoarthritis in one or both of their shoulders.

What’s more, research highlights how shoulder replacements are becoming more commonplace all over Europe, with countries including Germany, Denmark, Norway and Italy all showing a steady increase in the number of people undergoing such surgery.

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common reasons for someone needing to undergo a shoulder replacement.

However, surgery is not the only option if you suffer from osteoarthritis, as there are other treatments available, including radiotherapy.

What causes shoulder osteoarthritis?

The condition occurs when the protective cartilage in the shoulder joint begins to soften and degrade. Over time, the cartilage will crack and weaken.

Eventually, it will wear off completely, which is when patients typically experience the greatest pain, swelling and reduced range of movement.

If all the cartilage in the shoulder joint is worn away, bone spurs can form, which can create additional complications if they break off and “float” within the joint.

What are the signs of shoulder osteoarthritis?

The most common sign of shoulder osteoarthritis is pain in the shoulder joint – although pain alone doesn’t always mean you have osteoarthritis. Other forms of arthritis can also cause pain, as can injuries to the shoulder joint.

Stiffness in your shoulder is another sign that you may have osteoarthritis in this joint. In addition, you will start to lose the range of motion within the joint as the condition progresses.

While many people only experience pain in their shoulder when carrying out activities like lifting heavy objects or exercising initially, this can progress to pain even when you’re not moving your arm.

To accurately diagnose osteoarthritis in the shoulder, you’ll need to have a medical exam and likely an X-ray. In some cases a CT scan may also be recommended.

How can you treat osteoarthritis of the shoulder?

The most effective treatment for your shoulder osteoarthritis will depend on the degree to which it is affecting you and how much pain you are in.

In the first instance, you will normally be given shoulder exercises to help strengthen the joint and improve your range of motion. The advice is typically to avoid any activities that cause pain.

You can also use either ice or heat to help reduce the pain and you may be given anti-inflammatory medication. However, there is another option: low-dose radiotherapy.

Low-dose radiotherapy has been proven to be effective for both relieving pain and improving the motility of the shoulder joint.

One long-term study that looked at the effects of low-dose radiation on patients with periarthritis in the shoulder found that over half (56 per cent) reported that pain relief as a result of the treatment had lasted for years.

Low-dose radiotherapy has an anti-inflammatory effect on the joint, which not only alleviates the inflammation in the short term but also prevents it from recurring in many cases.

What does low-dose radiotherapy for osteoarthritis involve?

If you choose to go down this route to help alleviate your pain and improve movement in your shoulder joint, you will need to find a radiotherapy centre you are comfortable with. Once you have done so, you can book your consultations to discuss a treatment plan.

Typically, low-dose radiotherapy sessions to alleviate chronic pain and help patients with conditions like osteoarthritis are short. You will likely only need a few sessions to feel the benefit, although your consultant will discuss a treatment plan based on your condition.

Your consultant will look at the X-rays of your shoulder to assess the level of degradation in your joint. Then they will create a plan for your treatment based on what they can see and on what you tell them about how it is affecting your quality of life.

Each low-dose radiotherapy session will often only last a few seconds, as this is all the exposure that’s required to achieve the desired results. While most patients describe the radiotherapy as painless, some report an increase in their pain levels during their course of therapy.

However, this is often a good sign as it indicates that the affected area of the shoulder is responding well to the treatment. In such cases, we would expect the pain to reduce once the course of low-dose radiotherapy is complete.

External radiotherapy- Female patient listening to doctor

How Is Cancer Treatment Affected By The Change Of Seasons?

Whilst everyone has a different opinion of the seasons, the first bloom of spring can be extremely meaningful to many people undergoing cancer treatment, but it can also require some changes not only to treatment plans but also to mindset.

The fundamentals behind state-of-the-art external radiotherapy treatment will not typically change, but how you may feel about the treatment and the types of aftercare that are most appropriate often will, managing the physical and emotional effects of the seasons.

In particular, the two equinoxes, which signify the beginning of spring and autumn, can bring a lot of changes to your everyday life and cancer treatment, some of which may affect the body, whilst others affect the mind.

Our wide-reaching, holistic approach to cancer treatment understands the power the seasons can have, and with that in mind, here is how the change of seasons might affect your treatment and what your cancer team will do to help.

Why Does The Change Of Seasons Have Such An Effect On Cancer Care?

In general, the effects of the seasons on cancer care have very rarely been studied outside of attempting to determine the positive effects of vitamin D.

Any cancer treatment that is available to you will work at any time of the year; cancer is not seasonal, and neither are oncologists.

However, the change from winter to spring and spring to autumn can affect how cancer treatment feels, with the increased sunlight that comes at the start of spring and the early autumnal chill each having both physical and emotional effects.

Whilst for some people it can be an added motivation or allow for a chance to reflect, for others it can manifest as a form of seasonal affective disorder, and it is important to accept these feelings as a natural part of your cancer journey.

How Does Spring Affect Cancer Treatment?

If your radiotherapy or chemotherapy treatment plan continues through the spring equinox, it can create a new set of sensations and challenges, as the longer days and increased sunlight can feel more intense whilst undergoing treatment.

Physical Impacts Of Spring

  • Sun Sensitivity – Radiotherapy can affect the sensitivity of your skin around the targeted area, so it is important to wear loose clothes made of natural materials, as well as a hat or scarf and a high SPF sunscreen to protect your skin on brighter days.
  • Dehydration – Radiotherapy and chemotherapy can cause your body to burn more calories and process more water, so you may need more fluids and electrolyte drinks.
  • Swimming – Swimming is a wonderful exercise, but the chlorine in swimming pools can potentially irritate your skin. Ask your cancer team and make sure to shower soon after swimming to wash off the chlorine.

Emotional Impact Of Spring

  • The first bloom of spring can be inspiring to some people, but at the same time, it can feel at odds with others if they are feeling fatigued.
  • There can be an implicit pressure to recover or put on a happy face to match the weather.
  • There can be a sense of guilt in not feeling as positive and grateful as other people when spring finally blooms.

How Might Treatment Change During Spring?

  • Your cancer team may encourage additional hydration strategies to maximise recovery.
  • They may also suggest treatments that can help with seasonal-specific issues such as hayfever.
  • They can encourage additional holistic care, such as gentle exercise in the sun with a physiotherapist, light and nutritious meals with a nutritionist, and mental health support with a therapist or counsellor.

How Does Autumn Affect Cancer Treatment?

Conversely, the autumn equinox in September, when the weather starts to cool and autumn begins to feel like autumn, can also have a powerful effect on cancer treatment.

Physical Impacts Of Autumn

  • Cold sensitivity – Cancer treatments can often cause people to feel colder, and can increase the risks of hypothermia.
  • Peripheral Neuropathy – Conversely, certain cancer treatments can cause the extremities to feel less sensitive, which can not only cause difficulty judging temperature but can also affect balance.
  • Viral Infections – Autumn and winter bring many seasonal illnesses, which need to be managed whilst your immune system is more stressed.

Emotional Impact Of Autumn

  • More time spent indoors due to the shorter days can have an impact.
  • The pressure of family gatherings can itself discourage people from discussing how they feel.
  • Many people feel more isolated due to the cold weather.

How Might Treatment Change During Autumn?

  • Your cancer team may encourage vaccinations and a winter diet to boost your immune system.
  • There may be changes to scheduled treatments to work around your needs and family gatherings.
novocure - Doctor showing medical records to cancer patient

What Is NovoCure Therapy And What Cancers Can It Treat?

If you have been diagnosed with cancer, chances are you are researching all the available treatment options. For some types of cancer, NovoCure technology is proving to offer an effective alternative treatment.

What is NovoCure technology?

NovoCure is a pioneering, non-invasive technology that has proven effective for treating certain types of cancer. It uses tumour treating fields (TTFields) to target the tumour. TTFields therapy works by interrupting the division of cancer cells.

It does this by using low-intensity alternating electrical fields to disrupt the tumour, which can slow down its growth or even stop a tumour from growing further.

TTFields therapy can also prevent cancer from spreading, or slow its progression to other parts of the body.

The reason it works is because cancer cells have electrically charged components. As a result, they can be affected by changes in electrical fields. What’s more, because cancer cells have different properties to healthy cells, TTFields therapy does not affect healthy cells.

What cancers can NovoCure technology treat?

At present, NovoCure technology is approved for use on hard-to-treat cancers, such as mesothelioma and glioblastoma.

Mesothelioma is a cancer caused most often by occupational exposure to asbestos. It most commonly occurs in the lungs, due to asbestos being inhaled inadvertently while being either installed or removed.

Across Europe, mesothelioma has been identified as the second most common occupational cancer following lung cancer. In 2021, EU figures suggest there were 2,380 preventable deaths due to mesothelioma.

Italy, Germany and France experienced the highest rate of mesothelioma-related deaths in 2021, highlighting the need for an effective treatment option.

Once mesothelioma develops, which can happen between 15 and 40 years after asbestos exposure, it typically grows quickly and has low rates of survivability. This is why research into TTFields therapy for this particular cancer is so valuable.

Glioblastoma, meanwhile, is one of the most common and most aggressive forms of brain tumour. The survival rate at two years post-diagnosis is currently 25 per cent.

However, research into TTFields therapy for glioblastoma has found that it can increase a patient’s lifespan and improve their quality of life. What’s more, when TTFields therapy is combined with an oral chemotherapy drug – temozolomide, or TMZ – it can significantly extend a patient’s life.

One study found that TTFields therapy combined with maintenance TMZ resulted in an overall median survival of 40 months. This is considerably longer than the average of 24 months for those who don’t receive this treatment option.

Research is also ongoing to determine whether TTFields therapy could also be appropriate for the likes of lung and pancreatic cancers. The hope is that this could become an additional therapy to support patients fighting a range of cancers in future.

What happens during NovoCure therapy?

During NovoCure therapy your tumour will receive targeted electrical fields via non-invasive adhesive transducer arrays that are placed on your skin. You’ll often need to wear these for several hours at a time.

However, there will be no need to sit in a medical facility while doing so. One of the beauties of this treatment is that it is completely portable. That means you can continue with your life as normal, carrying the TTFields device with you.

The device itself will fit in a backpack, which means it isn’t onerous to carry with you.

This enables us to deliver your TTFields therapy around the clock without impacting your daily activities or preventing you from travelling and generally living your life.

We’ll provide support to set up the device initially, as well as continued care and support around ongoing device use, skin care and ensuring your comfort is maintained throughout your treatment.

There are very few reported common side effects from TTFields therapy. The most common issue patients are likely to experience is skin irritation beneath the transducer arrays. This is why we offer explicit support around skin care and comfort.

What are the main benefits of TTFields therapy?

TTFields therapy, like that offered via NovoCure technology, can not only improve survivability rates for those with life-limiting cancers like mesothelioma and glioblastoma.

It will also improve your quality of life because it does not cause the same kinds of side effects as other cancer treatments. This will give you more energy for the activities that matter to you and ensure you are able to make the most of every day.

Each NovoCure therapy treatment plan is bespoke and designed to not only target your cancer in the most effective way, but also to fit in with your lifestyle.

This gives you much greater freedom and a sense of control over your treatment, which can sometimes feel lacking with other options.

cancer treatment austria - Abdominal pain in woman

The Early Signs Of Ovarian Cancer And How It Is Treated

Early detection of cancer will generally allow for the widest choice of treatments, with less invasive treatments more likely to be an option if cancer is detected sooner.

This is why many common cancers have screening programmes and why it is vital to know about the early signs of cancers that may not always be easy to spot.

During Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, this is particularly important, as according to Ovarian Cancer Action, only one in ten people know its early signs and symptoms and to seek additional tests to diagnose their causes or confirm that cancer is the cause.

As a specialist international cancer treatment centre, we want to ensure that you have the best treatment possible, which requires not only the latest advances in medical technology and the knowledge of specialist oncologists, but also raising awareness to ensure people get tested.

With that in mind, here is a guide to the early signs of ovarian cancer, what happens if you are diagnosed, and the types of treatments available to you.

What Is Ovarian Cancer?

A diagnosis of ovarian cancer is the detection of a cancerous growth either on the ovaries, fallopian tubes or the peritoneum lining, which covers your stomach and abdominal organs.

The ovaries are the two small organs at either side of the uterus which store egg cells and produce oestrogen and progesterone, the two female sex hormones linked with fertilisation, whilst the fallopian tubes connect the ovaries to the uterus.

Because they are relatively small organs, the early signs of ovarian cancer can sometimes be difficult to spot.

What Are The Early Signs Of Ovarian Cancer?

There are four primary symptoms of ovarian cancer, as well as several less common but often connected symptoms.

What often connects these symptoms is that they can often be confused for other conditions, but if they persist for over three weeks, get in touch with a doctor, as they could be a symptom of ovarian cancer.

Bloating

Feeling bloated is not uncommon; many people feel bloated during their period, when eating certain foods or as a symptom of conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome.

However, bloating that does not go away, bloating that is more common than usual and particularly bloating that makes you feel like your stomach is hard and swollen is a common sign of ovarian cancer.

It is the most common early symptom and should not be ignored. Your doctor wants to make sure you are okay and to either get an early diagnosis for ovarian cancer or rule it out and look for other possible causes.

Feeling Full Quicker

Similarly, another common early sign of ovarian cancer is a relatively small appetite, where you feel like you get fuller quicker after starting a meal. This is caused, much like bloating, by fluid build-up brought on by the cancer itself.

Whilst most people have a situation where their eyes are bigger than their stomach, persistently struggling with your appetite and feeling put off by the idea of eating could be a sign of cancer, particularly if it is not typical for you.

More Frequent Or Urgent Urination

If you feel like you need to pee more often, especially if it feels like an urgent need to go, that could be a sign of an ovarian tumour pressing against the bladder.

Changes in urinary patterns happen for a lot of different reasons, but if it is different from your normal bathroom patterns and lingers for quite some time, it should be checked out with your doctor to rule out ovarian cancer.

Stomach And Pelvic Pain

Pain around the stomach, particularly from the lower abdomen to the top of your thighs, is a potential symptom of ovarian cancer, especially if it does not go away.

It is caused by inflammation and pressure caused by the cancer itself, and whilst stomach pains can be caused by menstrual cramps and conditions such as endometriosis, if it persists, it should always be checked by a doctor.

What Other Symptoms Can Be An Early Sign Of Ovarian Cancer?

  • Back pain.
  • Either going to the bathroom more or significantly less.
  • Weight loss that cannot be accounted for.
  • Vaginal bleeding after the menopause.
  • Extreme tiredness.
  • Pain during sex.

How Is Ovarian Cancer Treated?

The typical course of treatment for ovarian cancer is either chemotherapy, surgery or a combination of the two, although radiotherapy can often be used to shrink the cancer, to make chemotherapy more effective or to kill the cancer cells following surgery to ensure the cancer does not come back.

external radiation - Woman lying on the floor at home

What Are The First Symptoms Of A Brain Tumour To Look For?

As brain tumours can vary significantly in how they grow and how they affect people, detection is both essential and can be difficult to spot early.

Knowing the potential signs of a brain tumour is a vital skill to ensure that you get access to the specialist care you need, and as March is Brain Tumour Awareness Month, we want to ensure that everyone with a brain tumour gets the care they need as soon as possible.

Early care and intervention increase your options; some brain tumours can be treated using external beam radiotherapy or stereotactic radiosurgery, particularly when surgery is not possible or as part of a combined treatment plan.

What are the signs to look out for that could signal a brain tumour? Why does early intervention matter so much? And can more be done to ensure that people are able to be treated as quickly as possible?

Why Does Early Intervention Matter For Brain Tumours?

As with other types of cancer, early intervention allows for the most treatments possible, with potentially malignant tumours able to be removed more easily, often with non-surgical alternative treatments.

In particular, the use of stereotactic radiosurgery can destroy tumour cells more easily through the use of precisely focused bursts of radiation.

Rather than inpatient brain surgery, a tumour can be destroyed as an outpatient procedure in a matter of hours, and recuperation in your own home (or dedicated nearby accommodation for international patients) can start almost immediately.

As well as this, some brain tumours progress faster than others, and the sooner an aggressive form of brain cancer is targeted, the faster the cancer can be damaged, shrunk and destroyed, either solely using radiotherapy, or a combination of targeted interventions.

The earlier that specialists know, the quicker they can act, set up treatment plans, book appointments, control or shrink tumours and improve outcomes for many patients..

What Are The Most Common Early Warning Signs Of Brain Tumours?

The first step to brain tumour treatment relies on a person understanding that something feels unusual and not right. If you feel in pain, weak, or unusual in ways that you cannot account for, consult your doctor as soon as possible.

Many of the earliest signs of a brain tumour vary based on where the tumour is located, can develop very slowly and can be confused with other conditions. Headaches are a common symptom of brain tumours, but countless conditions can cause headaches.

Instead, the focus should be on symptoms that manifest in unusual ways, and with that in mind, here are not only the most common early signs of a brain tumour, but also what sets a brain tumour symptom apart from other common conditions.

Persistent Headaches

Almost everyone suffers a headache at some point, and as many as one in seven people live with migraines.

However, if you feel like your headaches are becoming more common, getting worse or are hurting in places of the head you are not used to, it could be a sign of a brain tumour putting pressure on the skull.

Similarly, if they feel worse in the morning or when you lie down, it could be a sign of a brain tumour. Get in touch with your doctor to discuss any unusual symptoms.

Seizures

If you start experiencing seizures, especially if you have no previous history of epilepsy, get in touch with your doctor immediately. They are a common symptom of brain tumours, but even if you have epilepsy, let your doctor know if your seizures change.

Unexpected Vision Issues

Blurred vision, double vision, narrow tunnel vision or any other unusual vision issues can be a sign that a tumour is putting pressure on the visual processing parts of the brain, especially if you have no previous history of vision issues.

Hearing Loss

Sudden tinnitus, drastic hearing loss or a much greater rate of hearing loss than can be accounted for by age or lifestyle could be a sign of a tumour putting pressure on the auditory nerves.

Memory Or Speech Issues

Whilst confusion, short-term memory loss and difficulty with speaking clearly or finding the words can be signs of chronic stress, they can also be caused by a brain tumour.

Should There Be National Brain Tumour Screening Programmes?

There have been debates and discussions about whether there should be a screening programme for brain tumours, similar to those used for breast cancer, bowel cancer and cervical cancer.

At present, the benefits are not seen to outweigh the costs for a widespread screening programme, but if this changes in the future or an affordable, easy-to-undertake test is developed, this could change in the future.

Radiotherapy centre

New Research Supports Radiotherapy For Keloid Prevention

Many people think that radiotherapy is useful only as a means of treating cancer. While it does have a vital role in this regard, it also has many other uses that can bring all kinds of benefits to patients. Our radiotherapy centre can provide these.

An example of this is in preventing the recurrence of keloids after surgery to remove them. Keloids are a type of skin growth that arises when the skin does not respond in a normal way to trauma, such as a bad burn or a severe wound.

Scar tissue is a normal feature of some injuries of this type, as well as surgery, but the body is only supposed to produce a limited amount of collagen, the substance that is secreted by skin cells called fibroblasts. This should normally generate new skin to heal the wound.

However, on some occasions, the fibroblasts produce an excessive reaction, with a result that far too much scar tissue is produced. The result is keloids.

What Are The Characteristics Of Keloids?

These are characterised in the following ways:

  • They cover a larger area than the original wound
  • They are characterised by an unsightly raised and lumpy appearance
  • They can cause significant discomfort, including soreness and bleeding

This raises a couple of obvious questions. The first is how this problem is caused, while the second is what can be done about it. Radiotherapy provides part of the answer to the second question.

Among the factors believed to cause keloids are:

  • Skin infections, leading to more inflammation
  • A genetic predisposition
  • Traumatic injuries

In each of these cases, it is believed that the production of extra collagen is stimulated, producing the excess response and leaving these unpleasant pieces of scar tissue. They can be removed by surgery, but they often grow back again.

How Can Radiotherapy Impact Keloids?

The exact mechanism by which this happens has not yet been established and is the subject of ongoing research, but studies have also been taking place into means of curbing the regrowth of keloids, including the use of radiotherapy.

A recent study published in BMC Surgery highlighted the effectiveness of radiotherapy when given in the aftermath of surgery to remove the keloids.

It found that the use of radiotherapy after surgery was much more effective than surgery alone for preventing the recurrence of keloids, especially among older patients.

This was true both for when radiotherapy was used alongside injected drugs designed to suppress the production of collagen, or on its own.

In the study, 121 patients who had undergone surgery to remove keloids were arranged into three groups:

  • Group A had surgery followed by radiotherapy
  • Group B had surgery followed by a combination of radiotherapy and drugs
  • Group C only had the surgery

Of these, Group A had a 93.88 per cent success rate, as very few patients saw the keloids return. Group B was nearly as successful at 87.04 per cent, whereas only 55.56 per cent of Group C did not see the keloids recur.

This provided a very clear indication that, while surgery was central to keloid removal in all cases, radiotherapy played a major role in ensuring that the keloids did not come back.

How Does Radiotherapy Stop Collagen Production?

To establish why this is, it is important to consider what radiotherapy does to cells and how this can prevent unwanted occurrences such as keloids.

Some will be familiar with the mechanism by which radiotherapy works against cancer. Powerful blasts of radiation can damage the DNA of the cells, which makes it difficult for them to reproduce. This can break down such cells and shrink tumours.

Radiotherapy can be used in a slightly different way for keloids. This involves damaging the DNA of fibroblast cells, which reduces their capacity to produce collagen, therefore preventing them from producing excessive amounts of scar tissue.

It is important to note that the amount of radiation involved will not be anywhere close to that used to fight cancer cells, although in both cases, the ideal outcome is cell apoptosis, where the cell breaks down entirely and therefore cannot carry out its undesired function.

This means that while those receiving radiotherapy for cancer may suffer side effects such as hair loss, nausea, tiredness and sore skin, this will not be the experience of those who have radiotherapy to prevent keloids returning after surgery.

Many treatments have been tried to curb keloids, from laser therapy and silicone gels to the application of retinoic acid. But a growing body of research evidence strongly indicates that radiotherapy to curb the capacity of fibroblast cells to produce collagen is the most effective.

Radiotherapy centre Austria

Amethyst’s Dr David Kuczer Receives Radiation Oncology Award

We’re pleased to announce that our partner radiation oncologist Dr David Kuczer has been honoured for his excellent work in the DocFinder Patients’ Choice Awards 2025.

These awards recognise the doctors who are particularly popular within their specialties, with thousands of Austrians voting for their favourite physicians from nine federal states, all of whom are incredibly dedicated to their fields, giving their best each and every day.

Once cancer is diagnosed, radiation oncologists are brought in to cover treatment and follow-up care of both benign and malignant tumours.

Dr Kuczer is a specialist in radiation oncology and radiotherapy, with many years of experience in diagnosing and treating cancer. 

He works closely with Amethyst Radiotherapy Austria to deliver highly precise radiation therapy at its Vienna private clinic.

Dr Kuczer was described as a “competent and empathetic doctor” by patients submitting responses for the awards – and this is the third time he has received the top honour, following previous successes in 2021 and 2022.

DocFinder itself, based in Vienna, is Austria’s leading healthcare platform, used by patients to both find and rate doctors. It receives more than six million user requests every month and, as such, is a particularly useful information portal for the country’s healthcare sector.

The annual Patients’ Choice Awards are determined following comprehensive analysis of patient feedback from the preceding 12 months. 

For the 2025 awards, more than 500,000 patient reports and reviews were evaluated, with winners selected from 1,400 doctors and 25 specialist fields.