Rehabilitation after radiotherapy

Radiation therapy is one of the leading methods of treatment of cancer patients. Radiation therapy is especially often used after surgery as an additional component of treatment. Despite the high efficiency in the fight against oncological diseases, radiation therapy is a serious test for the patient's body and subsequently requires complex restorative measures.

Dependence of the severity of side effects on radiation therapy

The degree of risk of developing side effects from the use of ionizing radiation depends not only on the type of radiation and dose. The severity of side effects largely depends on which part of the body the patient was irradiated. In total, radiation therapists and oncologists distinguish 4 degrees of risk of developing side effects.

1. Procedures that produce full body irradiation have a high risk. Irradiation of large parts of the body causes a significant radiation load on the patient and leads to massive doses of ionizing radiation. This leads to almost 100% of the development of side effects such as nausea, vomiting and constant dizziness.
2. Radiation therapy courses aimed at irradiating the thoracic or abdominal region have an average potential. Also, the ultraviolet irradiation of the patient's blood has an average risk potential. The risk of side effects in this case ranges from 60 to 80%.
3. Moderate or low risk. Such a degree of risk of developing side effects of radiation therapy is possessed either by low-dose short courses of therapy, or by irradiation of small areas of the body, for example: the head or neck, or pelvic organs. With moderate risk, side effects occur in 40-60% of cases.
4. Targeted radiation therapy using modern irradiation devices has a minimal risk. The risk of developing nausea, vomiting and other side effects with such therapy is minimal and is less than 30%.

Undoubtedly, an important component in the formation of the risk of complications are such factors as: the age of the cancer patient, the histological type of the malignant neoplasm, its localization and the stage of the oncological process. Determining the risk of developing side effects in the future plays an important role in the formation of a rehabilitation plan after radiation therapy.

What happens to the body when exposed to radiation

Ionizing radiation is detrimental to all living things, as it disrupts the metabolic processes taking place in cells, tissues with a high mitotic potential are especially sensitive to radiation. Cancer cells have a particularly high mitotic activity, due to which they are damaged in the first place during radiation therapy. Radiation leads to the destruction of the DNA of cells, which entails the cessation of cell division.

Nausea and vomiting following exposure are the most common adverse reactions. These symptoms occur because the intestinal tissues are the most sensitive to radiation among all types of tissues in the human body. Also, as a result of irradiation, various disturbances occur in the enzymatic and protein structures of all cells, for compensation and the fight against which the body spends a large amount of energy.

Types of therapy

Depending on the localization of the oncological process in the body, one or another type of radiation therapy is used. In radiation therapy, the following options for the use of ionizing radiation are distinguished:

1. application method. The radiating component is superimposed on a certain area of ​​the body or injected into the natural openings of the human body. When applied, the radiation source is located in close proximity to the tumor and emits low doses.
2. Focus radiation therapy. It is applied with the help of the most modern linear accelerators. The high degree of focusing of the beams makes it possible to accurately irradiate only the tumor area with an accuracy of millimeters. The close-focus method can significantly reduce the risk of side effects.
3. intracavitary method. Within the framework of this technique, special emitters are used, which are introduced into the natural openings of the body at the time of irradiation. In some cases, the emitting component is injected directly into the tumor tissue. This is one of the newest methods of ionizing radiation therapy.
4. The use of radiopharmaceuticals with selective accumulation. This option of radiation therapy is excellent for some types of cancer and avoids strong irradiation of healthy tissues, as it selectively accumulates in atypical tumor cells. Targeted isotope accumulation radiotherapy is used for thyroid and laryngeal cancer.

All of the above methods relate to contact types of radiotherapy, however, remote methods of radiotherapy are still actively used.

With remote radiotherapy, the radiation source is located at some distance from the patient, and high doses of radiation in a focused way damage only the tumor area.

At the moment, the most modern and effective method of radiotherapy is stereotaxic. Before the course of stereotaxic therapy, computed or magnetic resonance imaging of the tumor is performed, followed by the construction of a 3D image of the tumor. After the formation of a 3D model, the data is loaded into the emitter and only the area with tumor tissue is irradiated pointwise.

Consequences of radiotherapy

All side effects that occur in the period after radiation therapy can be divided into two large groups: local and general.

Damage to the skin can be attributed to local negative effects. Very often, with point irradiation with high doses of ionizing radiation in the projection of the tumor, the formation of a burn of the skin occurs.

Many local tissue injuries in the post-irradiation period tend to become inflamed. If contact radiotherapy was performed, then inflammatory and atrophic processes also occur at the place of fixation of the sensor. For example, with intracavitary irradiation of a patient with tracheal cancer, he may subsequently develop tracheitis, and with intravaginal irradiation in the case of cervical cancer, vulvovaginitis may develop.

The common negative effects of such therapy are pronounced dyspeptic symptoms, cachexia and a decrease in the body's immune reactivity.

Recovery of the body

Recovery after radiation therapy is a long and complex process that can take months or even years. For more effective and faster recovery, the patient is recommended to undergo a comprehensive rehabilitation. Rehabilitation can be done both in a hospital and at home. When conducting low-dose courses of radiotherapy, the patient does not need serious rehabilitation in a hospital. Let's take a closer look at how to recover after radiation therapy.

Recovery steps

For proper and effective recovery, immediately after undergoing a course of radiation therapy, it is necessary to contact a specialist - a rehabilitation specialist, to assess the state of the body. Once again, it should be noted that only an integrated approach to the appointment of rehabilitation measures will bring the desired result.

Where you need to start is with a change in lifestyle and adherence to the daily routine. It is imperative for a patient who has undergone irradiation to observe the physiological regime of sleep and wakefulness, since proper rest is an important step towards restoring a damaged organism. The best solution would be sanatorium treatment.

A cancer patient needs to be outdoors as often as possible and have little physical activity.

An important component of rehabilitation is proper nutrition. Compliance with the diet after radiation therapy allows you to activate disturbed metabolic processes, which leads to accelerated tissue repair. The diet must necessarily contain not only a balanced amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, but also a sufficient amount of macro and microelements, as well as vitamins. Eating fresh vegetables and fruits allows the body to get the necessary amount of antioxidants that protect cells from accelerated aging as a result of exposure to ionizing radiation. Proper and balanced nutrition after radiation therapy is the key to a quick recovery of the body!

Psychological and emotional peace. It is very important that a cancer patient who has also undergone radiotherapy is supported by relatives and relatives. Very often, patients who have undergone treatment for malignant neoplasms have not only an increased level of anxiety, but also a depressive state. At the time of rehabilitation, it is worth abandoning any adventures, hard physical and psycho-emotional work. Try to protect yourself from associating with negative or pessimistic people.

Features of rehabilitation in various forms of irradiation

One of the most common locally occurring side effects of radiation therapy is tissue burn. Most often, the burn is limited to the skin and begins to appear a few days after the end of the course of radiotherapy. This side effect is especially noticeable when the neck area is irradiated, so rehabilitation after radiation therapy of the larynx is necessarily accompanied by restoration of the skin in the neck area. For this, the patient is prescribed restorative creams and phytotherapeutic fees for oral administration. Another unpleasant feature of irradiation of the larynx is a change in taste sensations. This symptom disappears on its own within a few weeks, however, during the rehabilitation period, the oncological patient must observe some restrictions. The patient should eat according to the therapeutic diet prescribed by the attending physician. All spicy, salty, fried and hard foods are usually excluded.

Recovery after radiation therapy at home

Nowadays, the level of technology has grown to such an extent that radiation therapy entails fewer and fewer side effects that you can deal with yourself at home. The fact that native walls, not hospital ones, help the patient psychologically, which also speeds up the rehabilitation process. Following the recommendations and prescriptions of the attending physician, as well as the help of loved ones will help you recover much faster after radiation therapy. At home, you can try to use a variety of folk remedies, but be sure to consult a specialist before using any remedy.