Radiation therapy: An Option for Brain Tumor Surgery

Radiation therapy for brain cancer

Radiation therapy is one of the methods used to eradicate brain tumor cells and to relieve symptoms, like discomfort and pain, caused by a tumor. The highly targeted radiation therapy delivers the dose and the radiation with great precision to the brain tumor while reducing damage to the neighbouring healthy brain tissue.
For brain cancer patients, radiation therapy is mostly used after biopsy or following surgical resection of a tumor, to destroy any tumor cells left behind. It might also be an option for metastatic brain tumors (tumors spreading to the brain from another part of the body) or unresectable brain tumors.
The specifics of the brain cancer radiation therapy plan is based on several factors, including the size and type of the brain tumor and the extent of the disease. External beam radiations are used for brain cancer treatment. The area that is targeted by radiation includes the tumor and the area surrounding the tumor. Sometimes, the radiation is given to the entire brain, in case of metastatic brain tumors.
Since lung cancer mostly spreads to the brain, some people with lung cancer receive radiation therapy as a prevention from metastatic tumors developing in the brain.

Addressing Side Effects of Brain Cancer Radiation Therapy

Depending upon the radiation dose, site, and other factors, radiation therapy for brain cancer can cause certain side effects. Edema (brain swelling), skin irritation, hair loss, and fatigue are common side effects of radiation for brain tumors.
When a patient receives brain tumour radiation therapy, the medical team will work proactively to manage any of the side effects. For example, the doctor may prescribe steroids to help reduce the swelling, or blood thinners to dissolve the blood clots and help prevent them from traveling into the lungs.
The patients will also receive integrated oncology services, like medicine, nutrition therapy, and naturopathic medicine, management of pain, oncology rehabilitation and mind and body medicine, to help fight the radiations’ side effect or other treatments the patient receives. These therapies will keep one strong so that they can continue the treatment while maintaining a quality of life.

What Is Radiation Therapy?

This therapy uses targeted energy (i.e. X-rays and other radioactive substances) to destroy the cancer cells, shrink tumors, and/or alleviate confirmed cancer-related symptoms. It is used as:

• A primary treatment to eradicate cancer cells
• To relieve symptoms of advanced cancer
• Before another treatment to shrink a tumor
• In combination with the other treatments to stop the growth of cancer cells
• After another treatment to pause the growth of remaining cancer cells, if any

Types of Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy has three delivery methods or types. They include:

• External Beam Radiation Therapy: In this therapy, a radiation is directed from a machine outside the body onto the cancerous cells present within the body. (E.g.: IMRT, IGRT, 3D Conformal Radiation Therapy, tomotherapy, stereotactic radiosurgery)
• Internal Radiation Therapy: In this therapy, a radioactive material is placed (via a catheter or some other carrier) directly into or near the tumor. (E.g.: High dosage rate brachytherapy)
• Systemic Radiation Therapy: In this therapy, a radioactive substance which is either swallowed or injected travels through the blood to locate and destroy the cancerous cells. (E.g.: Radioactive Iodine Therapy)

Managing Radiation Side Effects

A typical radiation therapy may be damaging to the human body and may also cause unpleasant side effects, like nausea, fatigue, skin changes and other side effects, depending upon the part of the body being treated. During the radiation treatment, the team of physicians from a variety of integrated oncology services work with the patients to reduce the side effects and improve the patient’s quality of life.

Brain Tumor Surgery Cost

The cost of brain tumor surgery across different countries varies from $50,000 - $700,000. Stereotactic radiosurgery performed on brain tumors costs from $12,000 - $55,000. In case of additional treatments, the total cost can rise up to $100,000. For treating brain cancer like Glioblastoma, the cost goes up to $450,000 and the treatment for lifetime reaches $700,000. When comparing these costs with other countries like UK, USA the average cost for brain tumor surgery in India starts around $8000 - $9000.