Q. What is radiation therapy for rectal cancer actually like? Symptoms sound horrible. Surgery is over, cancer is gone, but doctors are recommending adjuvant therapy.
Doctor Answer is medically reviewed by SecondMedic medical review team.
Radiation therapy for rectal cancer is a treatment method used to treat rectal cancer after surgery. It helps reduce the risk of recurrence and may improve overall survival rates.
The most common type of radiation therapy used to treat rectal cancer is external beam radiotherapy (EBRT), which delivers high-energy X-rays or particles directly to the tumor area with a linear accelerator machine. During treatment, patients typically lie on their abdomen with the affected region exposed to the radiation beams. Treatments usually last several minutes and are typically done in sessions five days a week over several weeks.
Common symptoms associated with EBRT include fatigue, nausea, loose stools/diarrhea, skin irritation or burns at the site of irradiation or near sensitive areas like eyes and mucous membranes in your mouth and throat regions, hair loss in some cases where radiation has been directed at your scalp, bladder irritation that can increase urgency for urination times 2-5 at night time and mild itching around treated parts of body surface e.g beneath groin folds or breast crease etc . The level of discomfort depends on individual tolerance capacity but generally isn't too severe and can be managed by restorative measures such as drinking enough fluids during treatment period , cooling towels over forehead & chest , avoiding hot beverages & spicy food , using antifungals & emollients etc if prescribed by treating doctor besides taking proper medications as per dose instructions . Some significant positive changes usually occur during course such as reduction in pain levels due reduced inflammation inside inflamed area caused by tumor itself post curative chemo therapy session henceforth leading towards better quality life ahead while chemotherapy drugs may take prolonged duration to eliminate all remaining traces from bloodstream until giving out clean patient status report upon scan results conducted timely basis every few weeks post cessation date set appropriately as per tumor size respond rate observed so far prior stopping any further combination remedies if deemed necessary otherwise let it continue untill complete recovery being achieved successfully thereafter thereafter making way for restorative therapies like physiotherapy involving palliative care techniques that help stimulate healthy lifestyle adjustment accordingly without posing unnecessary risks meanwhile thereby thus resulting significantly improved outcomes those have had undergone combined modalities approach offered via RT element inserted into fold alongwith other standard precautions advised before starting course thereon..