introduction

Radiotherapy is associated with cancer because most of its uses are related to tumors, and there are uses related to non-cancerous diseases of all kinds. I will first explain the simplified basics of cancer as an introduction to understanding radiotherapy. What is cancer? It is a cell that has rebelled and its DNA has mutated, so the cell grows without controls or a system to repair the defect, and the body cannot recognize or eliminate it. The formation of blood vessels continues to be stimulated to feed it, so those cells grow randomly and without control. This leads to the destruction of healthy cells around it and affects the function of the affected organ. The origin of the word cancer is an ancient Greek word to describe an unhealed wound, and the linguistic meaning is “sea crab” as its body represents the tumor, and the legs around the body represent the tumor’s penetration into the healthy tissues around the tumor.

Causes of cancer

Many patients and their relatives want to know the cause of the infection, and there is usually no clear reason for a specific person to be infected, but to simplify, there are factors that lead to an increase in the incidence of cancer, the most important of which are: – Genetic causes and genetic mutations: Some cancers are related to this cause and are often found in children and young adults, many of which are unknown and some are known; such as some cases of breast and colon cancer. Lifestyle is certainly the primary cause of many tumors, such as: smoking and alcohol, as well as lack of movement, unhealthy balanced eating and obesity, with different causes, are linked to many cancers. Exposure to carcinogens: Some chemicals, radioactive materials, prolonged exposure to sunlight and air pollution. – Microbes, some types of which lead to cancer, the most famous of which are hepatitis (B) and (C) which cause liver cancer, human papillomavirus which causes cervical cancer, and oropharyngeal cancer.

– Old age: Cancer is one of the diseases of old age. The longer a person lives, the greater the chances of developing cancer. This is one of the reasons for the increase in the number of cancer patients in developed countries due to the increase in the average lifespan of their citizens. Some smoking patients do not realize the importance of stopping smoking after being diagnosed with cancer. Unfortunately, continuing to smoke during radiation therapy reduces the effectiveness of the treatment, and the rates of side effects of the treatment increase. In some cases, the patient escapes the first tumor, but may develop a tumor in another place. For example, a smoking patient diagnosed with laryngeal cancer after recovery increases the rates of lung cancer if the patient continues to smoke.

Starve cancer and give up sugar

One of the most common myths among people to prevent cancer and even patients during their treatment. It is recommended to reduce sugars in general as a healthy diet to reduce the risk of obesity and diabetes for all people. But imagine that during the patient’s arduous treatment, his family forces him to cut out everything that contains sugar, which makes him thin and weak and prevents him from completing his entire treatment. All the cells of the body cannot live without glucose derived from sugar, so when the body needs glucose, it converts protein and fats into sugars; to be able to live.

Do I have benign or malignant cancer?

I do not prefer this name because the word malignant is saturated with negativity and all the meanings of losing hope for the patient. It is better for the patient and his relatives to understand the three most important questions:

• Is the tumor fast growing or not?
• This divides tumors into three types (fast, intermediate, and slow). This determines how quickly treatment or medical intervention is needed.

For example: acute leukemia is considered an emergency condition that requires urgent intervention, and some solid tumors whose growth or size affects the function of an organ – especially neurological functions – may require urgent intervention.

Most solid tumors are diagnosed at an intermediate stage, such as breast or rectal cancer. These tumors require the patient to undergo a complete diagnostic imaging, samples and various tests. Even if these procedures take a few weeks, this does not affect the results of German treatment, given that this tumor has been around for months or more for its symptoms to appear. The other is slow, and symptoms often appear over a long period of time due to the pressure of the tumor between the growth and the presence of years and sometimes decades in the body on a sensitive part of the body that affects its activity, such as a nerve or gland.

3- Is the tumor metastatic or not?

Metastasis means that the tumor spreads to other organs outside the site of origin. This determines a large part of the treatment plan.

4- Does the tumor need treatment before or after the primary treatment?

It depends on the type of tumor, even if it is called “benign”. There are benign types that need complementary treatment such as radiation therapy, as they are not fast-growing and cannot spread, but with surgery only their rates of recurrence are high, or their location is sensitive, which may cause them to recur automatically or lose a certain function; therefore, they need complementary treatment after the operation, such as radiation therapy, for example.