What is Radiation Therapy for Mesothelioma?

Radiation is a special kind of energy carried by sub-atomic particle waves.

Radiation needed for distroying cancer cells can be either produced using special equiment, or can be harnessed from radioactive substances (radio-isotopes) such as Cobalt.

Making use of precisely aimed radiation in high doses to destroy cancerous/malignant tumor cells is called radiotherapy, electron-beam therapy, x-ray therapy, or radiation therapy.

Some of the latest radiotherapy procedures include the following:

• Conformal Proton Beam Radiation Therapy (CPBRT)

  CPBRT makes use of proton beams (made up of proton sub-atomic particles) to distroy malignant cancer cells.

• Stereotactic Surgery or Stereotactic Radiation Therapy (SRT)

  This technique makes use of a precisely aimed beam of Gamma rays to deliver a high dose of radiation to a relatively small (localized) cancerous tumor area. Even though this is often called Gamma Knife, no incision is actually made. This technique is often used to distroy malignant tumor cells in the brain.

• Intraoperative Radiation Therapy (IORT)

  IORT is often used to treat recurring peritoneal mesothelioma, and recurring pelvic cancers. IORT is usually used during a surgery.

• Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT)

  BNCT is one of the newer radiation therapy that is sometimes used in brain tumors. Patients are injected with a compound containing Boron before they are subjected to a beam of neuron at the site of malignant brain tumor. When a neuron hits a boron atom, it releases high energy radiation that effectively destroys the cancer cells. Effectiveness of this radiation treatment is not yet well-documented.

• Three-Dimensional Conformal Radiation Therapy (3DCRT)

  This technique makes use of a special computer program to very precisely map the location of the cancer. Effectiveness/accuracy of this relatively new procedure is not yet well-established.

• Hyperthermia (Heat Therapy) using Microwaves or Ultrasound waves

  Heat generated by microwaves or ultrsound is some times used in combination with radiotherapy to further enhance the effectiveness of a radiotherapy session. Heat alone is not so effective in distroying cancer cells.

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