EXPERT
Sophia Edwards Bennett
Radiation Oncologist
- SARASOTA, FL
- Weill Cornell Medical College
- Accepting new patients
The Unsung Edge of Diversity in Medicine Through the Lens of an Oncologist
In the medical field, training tenured by physicians renders the knowledge and technical skills required. But, notwithstanding, the diversity of our backgrounds and differential...
What are the side effects of radiation therapy?
How long is radiation treatment for stomach cancer?
What is the purpose of palliative radiation therapy?
Palliative radiation is a radiotherapeutic approach that is often employed when cure is not clinically attainable or medically feasible; but the cancer site in question remains treatable with conservative outcomes.The spectrum of the goal and outcome of palliative radiation is dictated by the primary diagnosis, and the site of disease (primary or metastatic) requiring palliation.
Palliative radiotherapy is recommended in several clinical scenarios, including but not limited to, alleviating intractable cancer-induced pain, hemostasis (to halt bleeding caused by the tumor), and relieving tumor obstruction of critical structures such as the lung and esophagus.Palliative radiation is also prescribed to gain local control by decreasing the size of tumor encroaching on critical structures in the CNS (central nervous system) such as the spinal cord and/or brain; to halt further neurological compromise.
I hope this response has been helpful and informative.Sincerely,Dr. EB
How can I prepare for radiotherapy?
Does radiation weaken your immune system?
Other sites of the body certainly host bone and thus contain bone marrow; but comparatively less percent than the pelvic bones. Thus, these bones are less likely to be related to any significant radiation-induced decrease in blood counts and, as such, are less associated with a compromised or weakened immune response.
I hope this response has been helpful and informative.
Sincerely,
Dr. EB
Will a breast x-ray spot any tumors?
Sophia Edwards-Bennett, MD PhD Radiation Oncologist
How long does it take for your body to recover from radiotherapy?
In general, the effects of radiation therapy can lag behind the treatment course, for approximately1-2 weeks thereafter. After this lag period, symptoms should start to dissipate, albeit slowly. However, every patient is different, with unique recovery rate. In addition, other factors, such as the site treated, and receipt of concurrent chemotherapy with radiation, may influence the rate of recovery from the effects of radiation.
I hope that the explanation herein provides an adequate response.
Sincerely,
Dr. EB
Is radiation worse than chemo?
I hope that this explanation answers your question sufficiently.
Sincerely,
Dr. EB
Can a CT scan tell if a tumor is benign?
Certain tumors have characteristic features on images studies such as a CT scan (frequently performed with IV contrast dye) that may help to differentiate between benign versus malignant disease. However, to establish a definitive diagnosis, pathological sampling is usually obtained by performing a biopsy of the tumor.
Sincerely,
Dr. EB
Is radiation treatment worse than chemo?
I hope that the above response adequately addresses your question.
Sincerely,
Dr. EB
Can you be around someone after radiation treatment?
What is the most common acute side effect of radiation treatment?
The acute side effects of radiation are largely site-specific. This means that radiation to different areas of the body induces select side effects. Thus, the acute radiation side effects will be dictated by the cancer site, and the normal structures/organs adjacent to the target/tumor. However, there are certain acute side effects that can result from radiation, regardless of the site of treatment. These are, namely, radiation dermatitis including skin irritation, erythema (redness), folliculitis/pruritus (rash/itching), possible desquamation/skin peeling), and fatigue. These are cumulative, and thus become more prominent as the treatment progresses. However, it is important to note that the rate of progression varies. For example, some patients may develop fatigue at the end of the second week of radiation, while others may detect some level of fatigue earlier, or later, in their treatment course. In addition, systemic treatment such as chemotherapy, may augment, worsen or accelerate the timing of side effects. Again, other acute side effects may occur, but are more specific to the treatment site. Thus, treatment to the abdomen may result in nausea (with or without vomiting), diarrhea and flatulence (gas). Radiation to the lung or chest area may result in cough, difficulty and/or pain on swallowing; while radiation to the prostate may result in increased urinary frequency, pain on urination (dysurea) and/increased nocturia (urination multiple times during the night). I would encourage you to call your Radiation Oncology team for further discussion, and recommended interventions for side effects.Telemedicine is an option in some clinical practices.
Regards,
Dr. EB
How long does it take for radiation to shrink a tumor?
How much radiation is in a CT scan?
Why does radiation cause hair loss?
This is a valid and common question from patients undergoing radiation therapy.Radiation is simply high energy X-rays delivered from a radiation machine, with the sole goal of ablating/killing cancer cells.However, these high energy X-rays (referred to as external beam radiation therapy) must pass through the skin in order to reach the target—the cancer site.The skin ‘houses’ the hair follicles, which are responsible for hair growth.Therefore, the hair follicles in the skin over the target site (the site of the cancer), are damaged during radiation, thus causing hair loss. It is important to note that radiation therapy causes hair loss at the site of radiation only. This local hair loss effect is attributed to the fact that radiation is delivered directly to the site of the cancer.This is distinct from chemotherapy, which can cause general hair loss, because it is delivered through the blood stream to the body. Thus, radiation can only cause hair loss on the head/scalp, if the scalp, the skull or the brain is receiving radiation treatment. Likewise, if you are receiving radiation to the axilla (underarm), you will lose your underarm hair; but you will not experience hair loss from your scalp/head.
I sincerely hope that this response is helpful and informative.
Regards,
Dr. EB
Can lung cancer be seen on an x-ray?
Can an MRI scan cause pain?
How do chemotherapy and radiation differ?
Radiation and chemotherapy are both utilized to kill cancer cells. However, they represent different modalities of treatment, with differential characteristics. While chemotherapy is systemic treatment, i.e., administered intravenously (via the blood stream) or orally (in tablet form), radiation therapy is delivered directly to the site of the cancer, thus rendering a more anatomically targeted/focal treatment. As a result, chemotherapy-induced side effects can be more diffuse (general), affecting other tissues not limited to the cancer site or its adjacent organs. Alternatively, the side effects of radiation are only associated with the cancer site and the organs in close proximity to the target/tumor. It is important to note that, while the route and mechanism of chemotherapy and radiation are different, they function synergistically, as they co-augment their ability to kill cancer cells.
I hope that this explanation lends more clarity to the subject in question.
Sincerely,
Dr. EB
Is diarrhea common with radiation therapy?
I am not privy to your cousin’s complete medical history, or the details of her total cancer treatment regimen, i.e., other modalities such as chemotherapy, etc. However, I can state that radiation therapy is certainly (at least) contributing to your cousin’s diarrhea. Radiation, when administered to treat cancer in the abdomen usually causes diarrhea because the bowel, which is located in the abdomen, is quite sensitive to radiation.When the bowel is exposed to radiation, the lining of the bowel is affected such that it is less effective and less efficient at absorbing fluids/water. This results in the loss of more fluid (and other nutrients), which in turn produces frequent ‘liquid’ excretory product, referred to as diarrhea.Your cousin’s cancer care team will encourage adequate hydration during this period. Other recommended dietary modifications include: the intake of foods rich in soluble fibers such as banana, rice, applesauce; and the avoidance of insoluble fibers such as raw vegetables. Other recommended interventions include anti-diarrhea medications such as Imodium. However, I would encourage your cousin to discuss, in detail, the recommended interventions and management of radiation-induced diarrhea with her oncology team. Lastly, for some reassurance, in most cases the episodes of diarrhea decrease after the course of radiation is complete. Admittedly, we cannot predict the exact interval for resolution of diarrhea post completion of treatment; as this varies with each patient, the extent of the treatment field, and other confounding factors. However, it is reassuring to note that most radiation- induced cases of diarrhea are not chronic, and thus will dissipate with time.
I sincerely hope that the explanation provided above is both helpful and informative.
Regards,
Dr. EB
Is radiation therapy recommended for breast cancer?
Thank you for posting the question regarding your friends mother’s diagnosis of Stage II breast cancer. The stages of breast cancer are assigned based on several factors 1) the size of the breast tumor 2) the nodal status (the presence or absence of positive nodes) and 3) metastasis to other sites such as the contralateral breast (the opposite breast), bone, liver, lung or brain. Thus, stages I-III are localized to the breast and regional nodes, while stage IV has spread to other sites.Stages I-III can be further subdivided based on several criteria such as the size of the breast tumor and nodal status. This, of course, is also true for stage II breast cancer (the stage of your friend’s mother-as stated in your inquiry). Stage II breast cancer could signify a tumor size of 2-5 cm and positive nodes, or a tumor size greater than 5 cm without involvement of nodes.In both scenarios, chemotherapy would be recommended after surgery, as prescribed by her medical oncologist. If she elects to undergo breast conservation surgery (excision of the tumor without removing the entire breast), regardless of the subset of stage II, adjuvant radiation therapy (radiation therapy after surgery) is recommended as the standard of care. In the setting of mastectomy (removal of the entire breast), if her stage II breast cancer is attributed to tumor size 2-5 cm and positive nodes, adjuvant post-mastectomy radiation therapy is certainly recommended. However, if her stage II disease denotes tumor size > 5 cm with negative nodes (nodes not involved with cancer), then adjuvant radiation therapy after mastectomy (post-mastectomy radiation therapy) is usually recommended. However, your radiation oncologist will likely enter a detailed discussion with your friend’s mother and family, during which all factors will be considered, including patient age and medical comorbidities, and pathological features including, but not limited to, margin status and tumor grade. I hope that the explanation herein amply addresses your question and provides information for further discussion with the oncology team participating in the care of your friend’s mother.
Best Regards,
Dr. EB