Säteilyhoitomuodot

Säteilyhoitomuodot, known in English as forms of radiation therapy, is a medical treatment that uses high-energy radiation to treat cancer and other diseases. The primary goal is to damage or destroy abnormal cells while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue. There are several distinct methods employed in radiation therapy, each tailored to specific medical needs and anatomical locations.

External beam radiation therapy (EBRT) is the most common type. In this method, a machine located outside the body delivers radiation to the cancerous area. Techniques like 3D conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT) and intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) are advanced forms of EBRT that precisely shape the radiation beams to match the tumor's contours, thereby reducing exposure to nearby healthy organs. Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) further refines this by using imaging before each treatment session to ensure accurate targeting. Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) are highly focused forms of EBRT that deliver very high doses of radiation in one or a few sessions, often used for smaller tumors.

Internal radiation therapy, or brachytherapy, involves placing radioactive sources directly inside or very close to the tumor. This allows for a high dose of radiation to be delivered to the tumor while minimizing radiation exposure to the rest of the body. Brachytherapy can be temporary, with the radioactive source removed after treatment, or permanent, where the source is left in place and its radioactivity decays over time. Radioactive iodine therapy is another form of internal radiation therapy, primarily used to treat thyroid cancer.

Systemic radiation therapy involves administering radioactive drugs that travel through the bloodstream to reach cancer cells throughout the body. These drugs can be injected or swallowed. The choice of radiation therapy modality depends on factors such as the type and stage of cancer, the tumor's location, and the patient's overall health.