Side Effects Of Sbrt For Lung Cancer

Stereotactic body radiation therapy sbrt is a highly effective yet not well known or widely used treatment for early stage lung cancer says molly freeman c n p a nurse practitioner who specializes in radiation and thoracic oncology at the cleveland clinic.

Side effects of sbrt for lung cancer.

Take frequent rest periods and pace your activities. Feeling tired redness like sunburn at the radiation site itchiness at the radiation site swelling at or near the radiat. You might hear a few different terms for stereotactic radiotherapy which can be confusing. Surgeons are often a little reluctant to perform sbrt on tumors located in the central part of the lung but will generally do so for tumors up to 4 cm 1 inches in.

Redness like sunburn at the place on your body where you got the radiation. Save time for activities you enjoy. Delivers higher radiation doses to tumors which would not be possible with other radiation therapies. Plan them as part of your day.

Most radiation oncologists will not perform sbrt on tumors larger than 6 cm just over 2 inches in diameter. Side effects of sbrt. In lung tumors there is convincing evidence from united states japan and europe that sbrt may be as effective as surgery for early stage lung cancer. It can be done but the chances for controlling a tumor decreases the larger a tumor is.

With stereotactic body radiation the procedure. Usually you have between 1 and 8 treatments. The type and how severe they are depend on many things. Preserving healthy tissue is important for many lung cancer patients who may be struggling with other conditions like emphysema.

Some people develop side effects from radiation therapy. This lowers the risk of side effects. There have been minimal side effects associated with stereotactic radiosurgery treatment for lung cancer. The most common side effects of sbrt are.

The most common side effect is fatigue. With sbrt only a small area of your body is exposed to radiation. It is certainly the treatment modality of choice for patients who cannot undergo surgery to remove their tumors from either a medical or technical perspective. Stereotactic treatment for the body might be called stereotactic body radiotherapy sbrt or stereotactic ablative radiotherapy sabr.

Stereotactic body radiation therapy sbrt.