Radiotherapy: Difference between revisions

From Citizendium
Jump to navigation Jump to search
imported>Robert Badgett
imported>Howard C. Berkowitz
 
(3 intermediate revisions by 3 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{subpages}}
'''Radiotherapy''' is "the use of ionizing radiation to treat malignant neoplasms and some benign conditions."<ref name="MeSH-radiotherapy">{{cite web |url=http://www.nlm.nih.gov/cgi/mesh/2008/MB_cgi?index=11407 |title=Radiotherapy |author=National Library of Medicine |accessdate=2007-12-26 |format= |work=}}</ref><ref name="pmid11701579">{{cite journal |author=Symonds RP |title=Recent advances: Radiotherapy |journal=BMJ |volume=323 |issue=7321 |pages=1107–10 |year=2001 |pmid=11701579 |doi=}} [http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=citizendium&pubmedid=11701579 Fulltext at PubMed Central]</ref>
'''Radiotherapy''' is "the use of ionizing radiation to treat malignant neoplasms and some benign conditions."<ref name="MeSH-radiotherapy">{{cite web |url=http://www.nlm.nih.gov/cgi/mesh/2008/MB_cgi?index=11407 |title=Radiotherapy |author=National Library of Medicine |accessdate=2007-12-26 |format= |work=}}</ref><ref name="pmid11701579">{{cite journal |author=Symonds RP |title=Recent advances: Radiotherapy |journal=BMJ |volume=323 |issue=7321 |pages=1107–10 |year=2001 |pmid=11701579 |doi=}} [http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=citizendium&pubmedid=11701579 Fulltext at PubMed Central]</ref>


Line 4: Line 5:
Radiotherapy can be classified by type of radiation, which includes:
Radiotherapy can be classified by type of radiation, which includes:
* Electromagnetic (photons)
* Electromagnetic (photons)
** X-Ray
** [[X-ray]]
** Gamma ray
** [[Gamma ray]]
* Electrons. Electrons are used for superficial targets as the energy of electrons decreases during penetration of tissues
* [[Electrons]]. Electrons are used for superficial targets as the energy of electrons decreases during penetration of tissues
* Protons. Initial research suggests that proton beams with conformal methods, can increase the accuracy of placement of the radiation. A [[randomized controlled trial]] of radiotherapy for [[prostate cancer]] found improved response of [[prostate specific antigen]] without increased local complications.<ref name="pmid16160131">{{cite journal |author=Zietman AL, DeSilvio ML, Slater JD, ''et al'' |title=Comparison of conventional-dose vs high-dose conformal radiation therapy in clinically localized adenocarcinoma of the prostate: a randomized controlled trial |journal=JAMA |volume=294 |issue=10 |pages=1233–9 |year=2005 |pmid=16160131 |doi=10.1001/jama.294.10.1233}}</ref> There is concern that particle accelerators for producing protons are proliferating in American health care prior to adequate study of the their role.<ref name="Hospitals Look to Nuclear Tool to Fight Cancer">{{cite web |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/26/business/26proton.html |title=Hospitals Look to Nuclear Tool to Fight Cancer - New York Times |accessdate=2007-12-26 |author=Pollack, Andrew |authorlink= |coauthors= |date=2007 |format= |work= |publisher=New York Times |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote=}}</ref>
* [[Protons]]. Initial research suggests that proton beams with conformal methods, can increase the accuracy of placement of the radiation. A [[randomized controlled trial]] of radiotherapy for [[prostate cancer]] found improved response of [[prostate specific antigen]] without increased local complications.<ref name="pmid16160131">{{cite journal |author=Zietman AL, DeSilvio ML, Slater JD, ''et al'' |title=Comparison of conventional-dose vs high-dose conformal radiation therapy in clinically localized adenocarcinoma of the prostate: a randomized controlled trial |journal=JAMA |volume=294 |issue=10 |pages=1233–9 |year=2005 |pmid=16160131 |doi=10.1001/jama.294.10.1233}}</ref> There is concern that particle accelerators for producing protons are proliferating in American health care prior to adequate study of the their role.<ref name="Hospitals Look to Nuclear Tool to Fight Cancer">{{cite web |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/26/business/26proton.html |title=Hospitals Look to Nuclear Tool to Fight Cancer - New York Times |accessdate=2007-12-26 |author=Pollack, Andrew |authorlink= |coauthors= |date=2007 |format= |work= |publisher=New York Times |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote=}}</ref>


Radiotherapy can be classified by the amount of energy associated with the radiation:
Radiotherapy can be classified by the amount of energy associated with the radiation:
Line 26: Line 27:
==Computer-assisted radiotherapy==
==Computer-assisted radiotherapy==
Computer-assisted radiotherapy is the use of "computer systems or programs used in accurate computations for providing radiation dosage treatment to patients."<ref name="MeSH-Computer-assisted">{{cite web |url=http://www.nlm.nih.gov/cgi/mesh/2008/MB_cgi?term=Computer-assisted+radiotherapy |title=Computer-assisted radiotherapy |author=National Library of Medicine |accessdate=2007-12-26 |format= |work=}}</ref> Methods of computer-assisted radiotherapy include:
Computer-assisted radiotherapy is the use of "computer systems or programs used in accurate computations for providing radiation dosage treatment to patients."<ref name="MeSH-Computer-assisted">{{cite web |url=http://www.nlm.nih.gov/cgi/mesh/2008/MB_cgi?term=Computer-assisted+radiotherapy |title=Computer-assisted radiotherapy |author=National Library of Medicine |accessdate=2007-12-26 |format= |work=}}</ref> Methods of computer-assisted radiotherapy include:
* Conformal photon-beam therapy
* [[Conformal radiotherapy]]
* Intensity-modulated radiation
* Intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT)


==References==
==References==
<references/>
<references/>
[[Category:CZ Live]] [[Category:Health Sciences Workgroup]]

Latest revision as of 14:16, 22 June 2010

This article is a stub and thus not approved.
 Main Article
 Discussion
Related Articles  [?]
Bibliography  [?]
External Links  [?]
Citable Version  [?]
 
https://en.citizendium.org/wiki/index.php?title=Radiotherapy&printable=yes
This editable Main Article is under development and subject to a disclaimer.

Radiotherapy is "the use of ionizing radiation to treat malignant neoplasms and some benign conditions."[1][2]

Classification

Radiotherapy can be classified by type of radiation, which includes:

  • Electromagnetic (photons)
  • Electrons. Electrons are used for superficial targets as the energy of electrons decreases during penetration of tissues
  • Protons. Initial research suggests that proton beams with conformal methods, can increase the accuracy of placement of the radiation. A randomized controlled trial of radiotherapy for prostate cancer found improved response of prostate specific antigen without increased local complications.[3] There is concern that particle accelerators for producing protons are proliferating in American health care prior to adequate study of the their role.[4]

Radiotherapy can be classified by the amount of energy associated with the radiation:

  • High-energy radiotherapy is "radiotherapy using high-energy (megavolt or higher) ionizing radiation. Types of radiation include gamma rays, produced by a radioisotope within a teletherapy unit; x-rays, electrons, protons, alpha particles (helium ions) and heavy charged ions, produced by particle acceleration; and neutrons and pi-mesons (pions), produced as secondary particles following bombardment of a target with a primary particle."[5]
  • Orthovoltage therapy is x-rays between 150 and 500 kV
  • Lower energy x-rays (50 to 150 kV) can be used for superficial therapy.

Radiotherapy can be classified by delivery methods:

  • External beam
  • Brachytherapy is "a collective term for interstitial, intracavity, and surface radiotherapy. It uses small sealed or partly-sealed sources that may be placed on or near the body surface or within a natural body cavity or implanted directly into the tissues."[6]
  • Radioimmunotherapy is "radiotherapy where cytotoxic radionuclides are linked to antibodies in order to deliver toxins directly to tumor targets. Therapy with targeted radiation rather than antibody-targeted toxins (immunotoxins) has the advantage that adjacent tumor cells, which lack the appropriate antigenic determinants, can be destroyed by radiation cross-fire. Radioimmunotherapy is sometimes called targeted radiotherapy, but this latter term can also refer to radionuclides linked to non-immune molecules."[7]

Radiotherapy can be classified by the target of the therapy:

  • Hemibody Irradiation
  • Whole-body Irradiation
  • Lymphatic Irradiation

Computer-assisted radiotherapy

Computer-assisted radiotherapy is the use of "computer systems or programs used in accurate computations for providing radiation dosage treatment to patients."[8] Methods of computer-assisted radiotherapy include:

References

  1. ↑ National Library of Medicine. Radiotherapy. Retrieved on 2007-12-26.
  2. ↑ Symonds RP (2001). "Recent advances: Radiotherapy". BMJ 323 (7321): 1107–10. PMID 11701579. [e] Fulltext at PubMed Central
  3. ↑ Zietman AL, DeSilvio ML, Slater JD, et al (2005). "Comparison of conventional-dose vs high-dose conformal radiation therapy in clinically localized adenocarcinoma of the prostate: a randomized controlled trial". JAMA 294 (10): 1233–9. DOI:10.1001/jama.294.10.1233. PMID 16160131. Research Blogging.
  4. ↑ Pollack, Andrew (2007). Hospitals Look to Nuclear Tool to Fight Cancer - New York Times. New York Times. Retrieved on 2007-12-26.
  5. ↑ National Library of Medicine. High-Energy radiotherapy. Retrieved on 2007-12-26.
  6. ↑ National Library of Medicine. Brachytherapy. Retrieved on 2007-12-26.
  7. ↑ National Library of Medicine. Radioimmunotherapy. Retrieved on 2007-12-26.
  8. ↑ National Library of Medicine. Computer-assisted radiotherapy. Retrieved on 2007-12-26.
Retrieved from "https://citizendium.org/wiki/index.php?title=Radiotherapy&oldid=366859"