Precisely sniping "Mr. Tumor"! Experts show you the secrets of radiotherapy, this "invisible scalpel"

Cancer, this dreaded disease, has more ways to fight it thanks to the unremitting efforts of modern medicine.

Radiotherapy, as one of the important means of cancer treatment , is like an invisible "weapon" that plays a key role in the anti-cancer "battlefield". Today, experts from the Radiotherapy Center of Hunan Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine will unveil the mystery of radiotherapy with you and learn how it helps patients defeat cancer.

1. What is radiotherapy?

Radiotherapy, also known as radiotherapy, uses high-energy rays (such as X-rays, Y-rays, etc.) to destroy the DNA of cancer cells, thereby preventing the growth and division of cancer cells and achieving the purpose of curing cancer. It is like a precise "scalpel" that can penetrate deep into the tumor tissue and attack cancer cells without directly contacting the body.

2. How radiotherapy works

The core principle of radiotherapy is to use the energy of radiation to destroy the genetic material of cancer cells, making them lose their ability to regenerate and proliferate. After these high-energy rays enter the human body, they interact with the molecules in cancer cells, produce active substances such as free radicals, and then destroy the double-stranded DNA structure of cancer cells. After the DNA of cancer cells is damaged, they cannot divide and grow normally, and eventually die.

3. Scope of application of radiotherapy

Radiotherapy has shown significant therapeutic effects in the treatment of various cancers, including head and neck tumors (such as nasopharyngeal cancer, laryngeal cancer, etc.), chest tumors (such as lung cancer, breast cancer, etc.), abdominal tumors (such as liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, etc.) and pelvic tumors (such as rectal cancer, cervical cancer, etc.).

Radiotherapy plays an important role in both the radical treatment of early-stage cancer and the palliative treatment of advanced cancer. For example, early-stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma can achieve a high cure rate through radiotherapy alone; for patients with advanced lung cancer, radiotherapy can relieve symptoms and improve quality of life.

4. Advantages of radiotherapy

Compared with surgery and chemotherapy, radiotherapy has unique advantages. First, radiotherapy is a non-invasive treatment method that generally does not require surgery, avoiding the trauma and risks of surgery. It is an ideal choice for some patients who are unable or unwilling to undergo surgery.

Secondly, radiotherapy can accurately locate tumor tissue, minimize damage to surrounding normal tissue, and reduce the occurrence of side effects. In addition, the treatment cycle of radiotherapy is relatively short, and patients can usually receive treatment in outpatient clinics without long-term hospitalization, which has little impact on daily life.

Radiation Therapy Center Introduction

The Radiotherapy Center of Hunan Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine is equipped with advanced treatment equipment such as Varian 23EX large linear accelerator, Eclipse planning system, and Novan N-9000 microwave deep thermal therapy machine. It carries out treatments such as emphasizing radiotherapy, three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy, electron beam radiotherapy, and deep thermal therapy for tumors and benign diseases.

Hunan Medical Chat Special Author: Zhang Xinhai, Radiotherapy Center, Hunan Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Follow @湖南医聊 to get more health science information!

(Edited by Wx)