Radiation therapy for mesothelioma
Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays or particles to destroy cancer cells.
If you have advanced pleural or peritoneal mesothelioma, you may be offered radiation therapy to relieve pain or control symptoms. This is called palliative radiation therapy.
Your healthcare team will use what they know about the cancer and about your health to plan the type and amount of radiation, and when and how it is given.
External radiation therapy
During external radiation therapy, a machine directs radiation through the skin to the tumour and some of the tissue around it. External radiation therapy is also called external beam radiation therapy.
Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is used for mesothelioma because it can accurately target the area to be treated and spare as much normal tissue as possible. IMRT delivers radiation from many different angles to treat cancer that has spread along the mesothelium. In addition to shaping and aiming the radiation beams, IMRT allows the radiation oncologist to adjust the strength (intensity) of the individual beams. This reduces the dose of radiation reaching nearby normal tissue while allowing a higher dose to be delivered to the tumour. It is useful for treating tumours in hard-to-reach areas.
Side effects
During radiation therapy, your healthcare team protects healthy cells in the treatment area as much as possible. Side effects of radiation therapy will depend mainly on the size of the area being treated, the specific area or organs being treated, the total dose of radiation and the treatment schedule. Tell your healthcare team if you have side effects that you think are from radiation therapy. The sooner you tell them of any problems, the sooner they can suggest ways to help you deal with them.
Some common side effects of radiation therapy for mesothelioma are:
Find out more about radiation therapy
Find out more about radiation therapy and side effects of radiation therapy. To make the decisions that are right for you, ask your healthcare team questions about radiation therapy.
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