What Is Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy?
With the goal of minimal harm to healthy tissue, stereotactic body radiation therapy, or SBRT, is a form of cancer therapy that targets cancer cells with extremely accurate and powerful radiation dosages. SBRT uses advanced imaging guidance to determine the precise multifaceted position of a tumor, allowing for more accurate radiation delivery to cancer cells. SBRT is also known as stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR). It is commonly referred to as stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) when used in the brain.
What Are the Different Kinds of Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy?
Among the SBRT types are:
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LINAC: LINAC stands for linear accelerator. X-rays, or photons, are used by LINAC equipment to treat malignancies.
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Charged Particle, or Proton Beam: Protons are used in multiple sessions to treat cancers using this more recent form of stereotactic radiotherapy. Tumors in body sections that have previously received radiation therapy may be treated using proton beam radiation therapy. Alternatively, they can manage malignancies close to important organs.
Which Tumors Are Addressed by Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy?
Several cancer types are treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy, including:
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Carcinoma of the prostate.
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Carcinoma of the liver.
What Distinguishes Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy From Traditional Therapy?
When using conventional therapy, patients have regular therapy for multiple weeks while receiving radiation in relatively small doses. By using SBRT, doctors can provide a higher total radiation dose in a much shorter amount of sessions. Compared to traditional radiation therapy, SBRT has demonstrated noticeably superior results. Compared to resection surgery, which carries far higher risks, SBRT has success rates of 80 percent to 90 percent after two years, whereas conventional treatment has success rates of only 30 percent to 40 percent. Patients have had fewer side effects, such as radiation pneumonia, even though SBRT gives a larger amount of radiation.
What Occurs Before Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy?
Depending on the kind of tumor being treated, each person may have a slightly different experience. However, the following is a general summary of what happens prior to receiving SBRT:
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A physical examination and a review of the medical records are conducted by the radiation oncologist. They might want more tests.
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They will inquire about the general well-being. Inform the medical professional if one is expecting or nursing a baby.
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The medical professional will go over the advantages and disadvantages of the suggested course of action.
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Individuals must inform the doctor about any medical devices they have inside them. A pacemaker, artificial heart valve, aneurysm clips, neurostimulators, or stents are a few examples of these.
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An informed consent form will be required for patients to sign.
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The simulation of a treatment comes next. This is the time for the healthcare practitioner to lay out the objective and begin mapping out the region that needs to be treated. To determine the exact site of the tumor, one could have magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) scans.
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To aim the radiation beam, a medical professional may mark areas of the skin.
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The healthcare practitioner will provide instructions following the simulation, such as how long the treatment might take, if patients need someone to accompany them, and whether they can consume food and beverages the night before the treatment after midnight.
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The doctor may prescribe anti-nausea, anti-inflammatory, or anti-anxiety medicine based on the circumstances.
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Individuals will be instructed not to wear jewels, glasses, cosmetics, nail polish, dentures, and wigs.
What Exactly Happens During Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy?
Similar to an X-ray, stereotactic body radiation therapy is painless. The following are the steps that take place during the procedure:
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Individuals might be required to undress depending on the area of the treatment. They must wear dresses that are comfortable to wear and take off.
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The next step is to lie to the table that is used for simulation.
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The session may last from 15 minutes to one hour. Therefore, the physician ensures the level of comfort the individual has.
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Technicians work on radiation devices from a separate room to protect themselves from radiation.
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The radiation accelerator emits radiation through an arm that hovers over the individual.
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Throughout the course of treatment, they must remain still.
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The physician will relocate the arm to different positions to modify the angle of penetration of radiation.
What Happens Following Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy?
One will be helped off the treatment table by the technicians. To monitor individuals for any signs of adverse effects, they can ask them to remain inside for around a half hour before leaving.
What Are the Risks and Side Effects of Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy?
Treatment with stereotactic body radiation carries a risk of problems and side effects.
Early Side Effects: Immediately following therapy, side effects are typically transient. They might consist of the following:
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For the first several days following SBRT, extreme fatigue is possible.
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Symptoms like a transient increase in discomfort can be brought on by swelling at or close to the treatment site. To prevent or treat these symptoms, a medical professional may prescribe medication.
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Vomiting or nausea may occur temporarily as a result of treatment for a tumor close to the liver or colon.
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Dry, itchy, or irritated skin may develop in the treatment region.
Delayed Adverse Effects: Rarely do some patients experience adverse effects years or even months after starting treatment. These could consist of the following:
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Fragile and weakened bones.
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Modifications in the bladder or bowel.
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Alterations in the lungs.
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Modifications to the spinal cord.
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Lymphedema (swollen arms and legs).
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An additional cancer.
What Are the Results After the Procedure?
Treatment with stereotactic body radiation has gradual effects. Following stereotactic body radiation, the following outcomes are possible:
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Benign tumors are tumors that are not malignant and may take a period of 18 months to two years to diminish. Preventing the growth of benign tumors is the primary aim of treatment.
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Within a couple of months, malignant tumors may decrease more quickly.
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After stereotactic body radiation, individuals might have further investigation examinations and tests to track their development.
Conclusion:
This particular kind of external beam radiation enables extremely accurate delivery of high radiation doses to small targets. Usually, this method of treatment requires three to five sessions spread out over one to two weeks. This is not the same as the daily routine external beam radiation treatment, which is usually administered over several weeks.
