10 Radiation Treatment In Mesothelioma-Related Projects To Stretch Your Creativity Radiation Treatment in Mesothelioma    Mesothelioma patients may receive radiation treatment as part of their pleural mesothelioma therapy plan. It can help reduce the chance that cancer will return after surgery.    Radiation therapy uses ionizing radiation that damages DNA in cells and kills them. It can be administered prior to or after surgery.    Doctors often mix it with chemotherapy to improve the results of surgery. It can also reduce symptoms such as shortness of breath by shrinking tumors.    External beam radiation therapy    This treatment makes use of x-rays or particles from a machine that are outside the body to kill cancerous cells. It is offered prior to or after chemotherapy and surgery to eliminate cancerous cells in the area, and as palliative therapy to reduce symptoms such as shortness of breath. It is difficult to treat mesotheliomas with radiation without causing damage to healthy tissue because they do not form one distinct tumor. Newer techniques are helping to overcome this problem.    Radiation experts use a computer to create detailed images of the tumor and adjacent healthy tissues. These images enable them to determine how much radiation they should use and where. This information is used to guide a large machine that positions the radiation beam precisely over the tumor. The majority of EBRT procedures involve having treatments every day for weeks, though some patients need less treatments. Each session lasts between 15 and 30 minutes, although most of the time is spent getting the patient into the correct position for the treatment.    The type of EBRT that is used for mesothelioma varies on the location of the tumor as well as the patient's health. It could be a standard version of EBRT, referred to as three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT) or a more sophisticated technique like intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). In some cases, it may be combined with a specialized method like stereotactic body radiation therapy to treat larger tumors, or with other treatment options such as intraoperative radiation therapy to treat smaller tumors that cannot be removed surgically.    Another option for treatment is proton beam radiation therapy which is the process of aiming beams of particles (like protons or the helium Ions) at the tumor from various angles. This allows for more precise targeting of the tumour site and minimizes the damage to healthy tissues and organs that are nearby. In Australia proton radiation treatment for mesothelioma isn't widespread.    Another kind of radiation is intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT), which is used in conjunction with surgery to to eliminate any mesothelioma that can't be removed surgically. This is a fast procedure that takes just few minutes to complete.    Intensity-modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)    IMRT is a treatment that allows doctors to treat tumors without causing harm to healthy tissue. The treatment utilizes a medical linear acceleration (LINAC) device that emits photons or X-rays to target the tumor. The machine rotates around the patient, which allows the beam to be directed at various angles to ensure that every area is being treated. This allows the doctor to deliver a higher dose to the tumor, while shielding the surrounding healthy tissues from being damaged.    IMRT is used with Image-Guided Radiation Therapy, which assists the doctor in determining the exact location of the cancer. IGRT uses computerized imaging, like CT scans or X-rays as well as MRI scans when they are available to aid the radiation oncologist locate mesothelioma and its surrounding areas with precision. Once the area of interest is located, IMRT can be used to develop a treatment plan that targets the mesothelioma in a precise manner.    The IMRT system allows the doctor to tailor treatment according to the unique anatomy of each patient, thereby reducing the adverse effects. Typically, the radiation doctor provides the patient with five daily IMRT sessions every week for between five and eight weeks. Each session lasts between 15 to 30 minutes. The daily dose of radiation helps protect the body's normal tissues. It is important to keep in mind that a weekend break is often needed so that the healthy tissues of the body can heal.    The IMRT technique has produced positive results in patients with mesothelioma of the head and neck. It is especially useful for tumours close to radiosensitive structures such as the parotid glands. a recent study showed that IMRT can allow a large dose to be delivered to the tumour without affecting the neighboring parotid gland. The parotids spared from radiation grew to 63% of their pre-treatment levels, as opposed to only 3% for patients who received conventional radiation. This is an encouraging result however, more research is required. Large-scale studies using IMRT will be needed to confirm the early findings.    Brachytherapy    If doctors are unable to remove mesothelioma entirely, radiation can help shrink the tumor and decrease symptoms. Palliative treatment is what this is known as. Doctors combine it with other treatments, such as chemotherapy and neoadjuvant therapy in order to maximize a patient's lifespan.    Radiation therapy makes use of x-rays from a machine outside of the body to kill cancer cells. Innovative techniques, such as IMRT, enable doctors to better target the area around the tumor, and reduce radiation damage.    Some forms of radiation can also be utilized inside the body to kill cancerous cells. In brachytherapy, doctors insert a sealed radioactive source within or near the mesothelioma. This can be done using a catheter or applicator. Doctors can deliver radiation doses from a machine located outside the body in order to target the source. This is known as external radiation therapy (EBRT).    In brachytherapy, doctors can provide patients with either pulsed-dose or high-dose rates of radiation. In the first, patients stay in the hospital and receive 10-minute sessions every day for two weeks. High-dose brachytherapy is less common due to the need for a larger machine and more time for exposure.    Protons are used in a different type of brachytherapy, instead of the x-rays. Because they are physical particles protons are not absorbed by the tissue as easily and can cause less damage to the surrounding areas. However, this kind of radiation is more costly and isn't as widely available as xrays.    Radiation therapy may be required for a period of time or longer in patients suffering from mesothelioma. This can be difficult to bear. Patients should discuss with their doctors any side effects that they may suffer from during treatment. Patients should also consult their doctors for tips to minimize side effects.    As part of a multimodal plan for treatment mesothelioma patients may also benefit from immunotherapy and genetic therapy. Immunotherapy improves your immune system. Mesothelioma sufferers who have been treated with chemotherapy may benefit from immunotherapies.    Researchers are also looking at other ways to improve the outcomes of radiation treatments for mesothelioma. Combining brachytherapy with immunotherapy is possible by injecting cells with Yervoy directly into the chest cavity. Clinical trials have demonstrated that this treatment is effective. mesothelioma treatment costs is an alternative method of replacing or repairing genes in mesothelioma cell lines to limit their growth or make them vulnerable to chemotherapies.    Radiation therapy after surgery    Radiation therapy does not cure mesothelioma however it can improve the chances of survival for the patient. When it is used as part of a multimodal treatment approach, radiation can shrink mesothelioma tumors and reduce pain and discomfort caused by the cancer. It can also lessen the chance of mesothelioma cells spreading after surgery or following the removal of a lung tumor (known as seeding).    Each session lasts for about 30 minutes. The treatment may be uncomfortable since the radiation oncologist will need to position and hold the patient in place.    Before the session begins Patients are advised to dress comfortably. Patients should avoid wearing any metal that can interfere with the precision of the equipment. Patients should also eat six small, frequent meals to avoid nausea.    In the case of a patient's health, he or she may receive either a conventional form of radiation or brachytherapy. In conventional treatment doctors utilize a machine called a linear accelerator to give radiation. This is the most popular form of mesothelioma treatment. It is usually used for mesothelioma pleural that grows on the lining of the lung.    Brachytherapy is a specialized treatment that makes use of an energy source that is placed inside the body. The implant could be placed for a short period or permanently. When placing the implant, the physician must ensure that only cancerous tissue is targeted and not the organs surrounding it.      In some mesothelioma clinical studies researchers are looking at the possibility of combining radiation therapy with surgical procedures for patients suffering from resectable pleural mesothelioma. One example is the SMART trial. This experimental treatment plan consists of giving patients hemithoracic radiation prior to when they undergo extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP). This combination of treatments enables doctors to give patients more doses of radiation and decrease the chance of post-surgical mesothelioma seeding.    A mesothelioma patient can suffer a complete or partial remission. This means that the size of the tumor has decreased or disappeared completely. Some patients have been in remission for many years and have remained healthy beyond their original prognosis.