How Radiation Treatment Works For Treating Colon Cancer

Radiation Treatment

Radiation treatment, also known as radiotherapy, involves the use of x-rays to kill off cancer cells. The radiation from x-ray beams damages the DNA of colon cancer cells, causing them to die off or making them unable to reproduce. Radiotherapy can also shrink the size of colon cancer tumors, making them less obstructive to the colon path.

Application Types

For long-term radiation treatment, doctors might elect to perform an internal radiation treatment called Brachytherapy. This involves the placement of radioactive elements directly next to or inside the affected areas of the colon. High Dose Rate brachytherapy for colon cancer is applied via a catheter insertion. Successful brachytherapy can reduce treatment times for patients.

External beam radiotherapy utilizes an external application of radiation beams to the colon. Beams are delivered from a special machine called a linear accelerator that targets as close to the colon as possible. The problem with external beam therapy is that healthy cells can also be affected. Therefore, the applications are usually spaced out in small doses to reduce that possibility.

Before and After Surgery

To aid in removing colon tumors, doctors may use radiotherapy to shrink them, making them easier to cut away. Tumors that are too big to remove surgically can cause problems with surrounding, healthier tissue because their vessels are spread out wide.

For colon cancer, one main form of treatment is resectioning surgery in which the infected area is removed and the rest of the colon is sewn back together. Radiation treatment is often applied after this surgery because otherwise unseen colon cancer cells might cause resurgence in tumor growth. Application of radiotherapy can kill these cells before they even get started.

Side Effects

As with almost any treatment, there are possible, significant side effects to radiation therapy. As noted earlier, otherwise healthy tissue can be damaged if the application isn't localized. Advances in technology are helping to make treatments more effective and targeted, but the risk is still there. Radiotherapy applied to the colon can cause a loss of appetite and frequent bowel movements until the treatment series is over. There is also risk of a permanent altering of the bowel system from radiotherapy.

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