Radiation therapy is a type of cancer treatment that uses beams of intense energy to kill cancer cells. 3D conformal radiation therapy, Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), Volumetric modulated radiation therapy (VMAT) / Rapid arc, Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT), Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), Brachytherapy, Superficial x-ray radiation therapy (SXRT), Intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) are some types of radiation therapies. Stereotactic Radiotherapy is an advanced & modernized form of Radiation therapy. It allows us to deliver a high dose of radiation to a small focused area.
There are 2 types of Stereotactic Radiation Therapy:
- Stereotactic Radio Surgery (SRS): Deliver 1-5 treatment sessions to brain & spine. (It does not involve any surgery)
- Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT or SRT): It delivers 1-8 sessions of treatments to tumors within the body, excluding the brain & spine.
Stereotactic radiation therapy uses high-energy X-ray beams to shrink or control tumor growth by directly killing the cells or by disrupting their ability to grow. It relies on detailed imaging, exhaustive planning precise setup & accurate treatment delivery. The advantage of it is, it delivers the right amount of radiation to cancer in a shorter duration, plus the treatment delivered with extreme accuracy minimizing the effect on other nearby organs.
A 67-year-old patient with the diagnosis of moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma of Right Buccal Mucosa was treated by concurrent radiation & chemotherapy in March 2018, because of apprehension and aesthetic reasons patient did not want surgery. After 2 years patient started to complain of pain & ulcer right alveolar region. The biopsy was done which confirmed it to be a recurrence.
He was advised for a second surgery, but he disagreed and since a complete curative dose of radiation was given to him 2 years back, so conventional radiation was not a good option. Hence, we decided to treat him with Stereotactic radiation therapy, with 7 fractions of high dose radiation scheduled as 2 fractions each week with a 3-day gap in between. The patient is now disease-free.
Dr. Piyush Shukla (Consultant тАУ Radiation Oncology, NH MMI Narayana Superspeciality Hospital, Raipur) says, тАЬThe patient had already received a threshold dose to a normal structure like normal oral cavity, spine cord and above all right parotid, which left made stereotactic treatment the best treatment option. Stereotactic treatments are also advised in the present scenario of COVID-19 pandemics, provided they fit into selection criteria.тАЭ
Dr. Piyush Shukla┬а | Consultant тАУ Radiation Oncologist | NH MMI Narayana Superspeciality Hospital, Raipur