Radiation oncology is a medical specialty that in many cases can be the single most effective method to treat orthopedic cancer. It may also be combined with surgery and/or chemotherapy to help increase its effectiveness.
Radiation therapy is a safe and effective use of high-energy x-rays to kill or shrink cancer cells, while preserving the normal, surrounding tissue. It is often an option for someone who has early-stage orthopedic cancer, as well as for more advanced cancers. In the case where cancer has spread, radiation therapy can also help to relieve symptoms.
Radiation oncology offers different modalities of treatment: Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT), fractionated Intensity-Modulated RadioTherapy (IMRT), 3-Dimensional Conformal RadioTherapy (3DCRT) or Interstitial Brachytherapy. A radiation oncologist who specializes in orthopedic cancer evaluates each patient to determine the best course of treatment for the individual.
Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT)
This treatment uses a highly focused sharp radiation beam that targets only the tumor with increased accuracy within one millimeter. Therefore, an intense dose is given to the tumor itself in one session (called stereotactic radiosurgery, SRS) or two to five sessions (SBRT). SBRT and SRS are completely noninvasive treatments and performed while the person is awake. SBRT or SRS is used to treat early-stage orthopedic cancer or an isolated metastatic tumor with excellent long-term results.
Intensity-Modulated RadioTherapy (IMRT) or 3-Dimensional Conformal RadioTherapy (3DCRT)
This treatment is used for most orthopedic cancers. It is usually given either before surgery (preoperative) or after surgery (postoperative). Because of the advanced stage of the tumor, the treatment is given to the cancer itself, as well as the adjacent bone and muscle compartment where cancer tends to come back, in order to reduce the tumor recurrence. The treatment is given in small radiation doses daily and accumulated to higher necessary dose for a period-of-time. It is referred to as fractionated therapy. In order to make the treatment conform to the tumor’s 3-Dimensional shape and have the treatment distributed evenly to the selected area, the radiation beam is highly manipulated, which is why it is called intensity-modulated. As a result, the precise therapy minimizes any potential complications.
Interstitial Brachytherapy
This treatment uses radioisotope placed within the tissue and thus is defined as a minimally invasive procedure. The patient has local or general anesthesia and then guide needles are placed in the tumor-bearing tissue. Then, the high-dose-rate radioisotopes are placed within the needles with the guidance of highly sophisticated computerized programs. The radiation oncologist performs the procedure and is assisted a by physicist, both collaborating to design the optimal treatment. The treatment delivers a very high radiation dose to destroy the tumor.
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