Wie viele Strahlentherapiekurse können im selben Gebiet stattfinden?

A cancer diagnosis often means that oncologists will work quickly to ensure you have the right treatment for your condition, but can the best course of treatment involve multiple courses of externe Strahlentherapie?

Da gibt es so viele verschiedene Krebsarten, many of which have different symptoms for different people, your treatment plan and course of treatment may vary from someone else with the same type of cancer.

In general, a dose of Strahlentherapie is split and applied in a series of smaller doses in a process called fractionation. By the end of a course, you will have received the full dose of radiation in as safe and monitored a manner as possible, with room to change course depending on how the cancer reacts.

Usually, when you complete a course of radiation, you will not have another dose in the same area of the body. But why might you need another course? What happens if you do? And when is a second dose of radiation impossible in the same area?

Why Might You Need Repeat Radiotherapy?

Most people who go to a radiotherapy clinic only have one course of radiation, either because it helps to destroy enough cancer cells to send it into remission or because another course of treatment is necessary.

A repeat radiotherapy course or re-irradiation is where another course of radiation targets the same or an overlapping area in the body.

Whilst almost never considered previously, the advent of more advanced radiotherapy machines, diagnostic devices and the ability to be more accurate than ever before has made repeat radiotherapy far safer and more effective in the right circumstances.

They are often undertaken when radiotherapy is still the best course of action as opposed to chemotherapy or surgery.

What Factors Can Affect Suitability For Repeat Radiotherapy?

Repeat radiotherapy is usually considered on a case-by-case basis, but there are certain factors that can affect your suitability more than others. Here are some of the most significant factors:

Anfangsdosis

If you initially received a relatively low dose of radiation for your initial course of treatment, you are more likely to be referred for re-irradiation.

The total dose of radiation you have received will also be a factor, and will often decide if any further doses are safe for you.

Time Since Initial Treatment

The longer it has been since your last course of radiation, the more likely it is that your body has recovered from the effects of radiation, and as a result, it makes it safer to undertake a second dose of radiation.

It is important to wait as long as possible to allow healthy tissue to recover.

Rate Of Recovery

As well as the overall time, the speed at which you feel better, your body tissues recover, and your overall health will all play a role in determining if radiotherapy is the right choice for you.

Type Of Cancer

Certain types of cancers, such as breast, prostate, and head and neck cancers, can be more suitable for re-irradiation, depending on the circumstances.

What Happens If You Undergo Repeat Radiation?

Your cancer team will very carefully track how much radiation you have received from previous treatments, and will carefully plan your future radiotherapy care around these safe limits.

They will also let you know about what to expect, how the new course of treatment is similar or different to the old one, and how they will monitor and check up on you to ensure that the treatment is working for you and is safe to continue.

They will also encourage you to ask as many questions as you like about treatment or seek out a second opinion if you are uncertain that repeat radiation is the best option for you.

When Is Repeat Radiation Impossible?

Not every type of cancer is suited to repeat doses, as different parts of the body are more tolerant of radiation than others and are easier to provide consistent, accurate doses.

As noted above, prostate, breast, and head and neck cancers can often be suitable candidates for repeat radiation, but other types of cancers need to be treated in alternative ways if radiotherapy was ineffective.

These include liver cancer, lung cancer, and cancers which affect the spinal cord, all of which are serial organs where radiation damage can have effects which can cause harm to the entire organ.

As with any other cancer treatment, the benefits and risks will be carefully weighed against each other before any treatment plan is offered to you.