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Radiation Therapy for Children
Radiation therapy may also harm the surrounding healthy tissues, which could interfere with the growth and development of the child and lead to certain side effects.
However, with advanced technologies and more precise radiation therapy approaches that specifically target the cancer cells and cause little or no damage to the surrounding healthy tissues, radiation therapy for children can now provide better results and fewer complications.
Types:
The different types of radiation therapies in children may include the following:
Radiation therapy may be given to children for the treatment of several types of childhood cancers, which may include the following:
- Leukemia (a type of blood cancer)
- Brain and spinal cord tumors
- Head and neck cancers
- Lymphoma (a cancer of the body’s lymphatic or disease-fighting system)
- Wilms tumors (a type of kidney cancer that primarily affects children)
- Osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma (types of bone cancers)
- Neuroblastoma (cancer commonly found in the adrenal glands that are situated on top of the kidneys)
- Rhabdomyosarcoma (a type of cancer that forms in the soft tissues)
- Retinoblastoma (a type of eye cancer)
The child may need to do the following diagnostic tests before radiation therapy:
- Physical examination: The child’s physical health, symptoms, and medical history are evaluated by the doctor.
- Blood tests: The various blood parameters of the child and certain underlying medical conditions can be diagnosed using blood tests.
- Imaging tests: Tests like CT scans, MRI scans, and ultrasounds may be done to create clear images of the suspected cancerous organ.
- Endoscopy: A tube having a camera on one end, known as an endoscope, is used to examine an organ internally.
- Biopsy: A part of the tissue growth is surgically excised by the doctor and sent to the laboratory for evaluation.
Depending on the type of radiation therapy being performed, the treatment can be carried out in the following ways:
1. External beam radiation therapy:
The child is made to lie down on the treatment table according to the position determined by the simulation procedure.
The doctor then goes into an adjacent room to monitor the treatment.
A linear accelerator machine will then direct the high-energy radiation beams into the child’s body.
The linear accelerator machine will move around the patient to provide radiation from several angles as the child lies on the treatment table.
This linear accelerator will create a buzzing sound, but the child cannot feel anything during the procedure.
The child usually goes home on the same day after treatment.
Each treatment session lasts for about ten to thirty minutes.
2. Internal radiation therapy or brachytherapy:
This procedure is done by implanting a radiation source inside the body of the child.
The procedure is usually done under sedation and the implanted source is placed via a thin tube known as a catheter or a larger device known as an applicator.
3. Systemic radiation therapy:
The radiation source can be given in the form of capsules or through an intravenous (injected into the vein) line to the child.
The side effects of radiation therapy in children vary depending on the area being treated and may include the following:
1. Head and neck:
- Hair loss
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Headache
- Mouth changes
- Blurry vision
- Taste changes
- Trouble in swallowing
- Thyroid gland is less active
2. Chest:
- Hair loss
- Fatigue
- Cough
- Skin changes
- Shortness of breath
- Trouble in swallowing
- Stomach:
- Fatigue
- Hair loss
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Skin changes
- Bladder and urinary changes
3. Pelvic region or rectum:
- Diarrhea
- Hair loss
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Sexual problems
- Fertility problems
- Skin changes
- Bladder and urinary changes
The late side effects of radiation therapy in children based on the area being treated include:
Head, neck, brain, and spine:
Cognitive defects
Growth and developmental problems
Dental problems
Hearing problems
Visual problems
Spinal problems
Obesity
Chest:
Heart problems
Breast cancer
Lung problems
Stomach:
Digestive system problems
Liver problems
Colorectal cancer
Pelvis:
Colorectal cancer
- The child will usually go home on the same day after a radiation therapy session.
- Following brachytherapy or systematic radiation therapy, the child will be radioactive for a few days after the procedure. It is essential to not allow too many people near the child during this time to prevent radiation exposure to other people. The primary caretaker of the child also needs to wear protective gear and try and stay at a safe distance from the child during this period.
- Side effects like fatigue and skin irritation may be observed in the child after a couple of treatment sessions.
- The doctor will monitor the patient closely and check the treatment progress, side effects of the treatment, and adjust the radiation dosage accordingly for subsequent therapy sessions.
- The child should be given a well-balanced diet and should drink at least six to eight glasses of water every day after a therapy session.
- The doctor may prescribe certain medications to ease the side effects caused due to radiation therapy.
- Regular check-ups will be needed after the completion of the treatment.
- The doctor recommends getting imaging tests done during the follow-up sessions to check how successful was the radiation treatment and if there is any cancer recurrence.
Radiation Therapy for Children Cost from trusted Hospitals in Bengaluru
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Radiation Therapy for Children
Radiation therapy may also harm the surrounding healthy tissues, which could interfere with the growth and development of the child and lead to certain side effects.
However, with advanced technologies and more precise radiation therapy approaches that specifically target the cancer cells and cause little or no damage to the surrounding healthy tissues, radiation therapy for children can now provide better results and fewer complications.
Types:
The different types of radiation therapies in children may include the following:
1. External beam radiation therapy: Most children will receive external beam radiation therapy for cancer treatment. It involves providing radiation beams to the cancer sites through a machine, known as a linear accelerator machine, that moves around the child’s body. The different types of external beam radiation therapies may include:
2. Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT): The doctor will use various imaging tests, like CT scans, to guide the radiation beams to hit the cancer cells precisely, based on the size of the child and the shape and size of the tumor.
3. Stereotactic radiation therapy: A single, high radiation dose is delivered to the tumor of the child.
4. Proton beam radiation therapy: Special machines, called cyclotrons and synchrotrons, are used to provide proton beam energy to destroy the cancer cells and cause minimal or no damage to the surrounding healthy tissues.
Intraoperative radiation therapy: Radiation is provided to the child during surgery. This procedure is particularly useful if the surgeon cannot remove the entire tumor.
5. Internal beam radiation therapy or brachytherapy: A small implant is placed inside the child’s body, which then acts as a radiation source, and delivers radiation to the cancerous cells. Certain kinds of childhood cancers, like head and neck cancers, may be treated using internal beam radiation therapy.
6. Systemic radiation therapy: Children may sometimes be given radioactive drugs via the mouth or injected into the vein (intravenously). These drugs are designed in a manner that they can find and attach themselves to the cancerous cells and then deliver radiation.
Symptoms
Radiation therapy may be given to children for the treatment of several types of childhood cancers, which may include the following:
- Leukemia (a type of blood cancer)
- Brain and spinal cord tumors
- Head and neck cancers
- Lymphoma (a cancer of the body’s lymphatic or disease-fighting system)
- Wilms tumors (a type of kidney cancer that primarily affects children)
- Osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma (types of bone cancers)
- Neuroblastoma (cancer commonly found in the adrenal glands that are situated on top of the kidneys)
- Rhabdomyosarcoma (a type of cancer that forms in the soft tissues)
- Retinoblastoma (a type of eye cancer)
Diagnosis
The child may need to do the following diagnostic tests before radiation therapy:
- Physical examination: The child’s physical health, symptoms, and medical history are evaluated by the doctor.
- Blood tests: The various blood parameters of the child and certain underlying medical conditions can be diagnosed using blood tests.
- Imaging tests: Tests like CT scans, MRI scans, and ultrasounds may be done to create clear images of the suspected cancerous organ.
- Endoscopy: A tube having a camera on one end, known as an endoscope, is used to examine an organ internally.
- Biopsy: A part of the tissue growth is surgically excised by the doctor and sent to the laboratory for evaluation.
Treatment
Depending on the type of radiation therapy being performed, the treatment can be carried out in the following ways:
1. External beam radiation therapy:
The child is made to lie down on the treatment table according to the position determined by the simulation procedure.
The doctor then goes into an adjacent room to monitor the treatment.
A linear accelerator machine will then direct the high-energy radiation beams into the child’s body.
The linear accelerator machine will move around the patient to provide radiation from several angles as the child lies on the treatment table.
This linear accelerator will create a buzzing sound, but the child cannot feel anything during the procedure.
The child usually goes home on the same day after treatment.
Each treatment session lasts for about ten to thirty minutes.
2. Internal radiation therapy or brachytherapy:
This procedure is done by implanting a radiation source inside the body of the child.
The procedure is usually done under sedation and the implanted source is placed via a thin tube known as a catheter or a larger device known as an applicator.
3. Systemic radiation therapy:
The radiation source can be given in the form of capsules or through an intravenous (injected into the vein) line to the child.
Risks
The side effects of radiation therapy in children vary depending on the area being treated and may include the following:
1. Head and neck:
- Hair loss
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Headache
- Mouth changes
- Blurry vision
- Taste changes
- Trouble in swallowing
- Thyroid gland is less active
2. Chest:
- Hair loss
- Fatigue
- Cough
- Skin changes
- Shortness of breath
- Trouble in swallowing
- Stomach:
- Fatigue
- Hair loss
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Skin changes
- Bladder and urinary changes
3. Pelvic region or rectum:
- Diarrhea
- Hair loss
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Sexual problems
- Fertility problems
- Skin changes
- Bladder and urinary changes
The late side effects of radiation therapy in children based on the area being treated include:
Head, neck, brain, and spine:
Cognitive defects
Growth and developmental problems
Dental problems
Hearing problems
Visual problems
Spinal problems
Obesity
Chest:
Heart problems
Breast cancer
Lung problems
Stomach:
Digestive system problems
Liver problems
Colorectal cancer
Pelvis:
Colorectal cancer
After Procedure
- The child will usually go home on the same day after a radiation therapy session.
- Following brachytherapy or systematic radiation therapy, the child will be radioactive for a few days after the procedure. It is essential to not allow too many people near the child during this time to prevent radiation exposure to other people. The primary caretaker of the child also needs to wear protective gear and try and stay at a safe distance from the child during this period.
- Side effects like fatigue and skin irritation may be observed in the child after a couple of treatment sessions.
- The doctor will monitor the patient closely and check the treatment progress, side effects of the treatment, and adjust the radiation dosage accordingly for subsequent therapy sessions.
- The child should be given a well-balanced diet and should drink at least six to eight glasses of water every day after a therapy session.
- The doctor may prescribe certain medications to ease the side effects caused due to radiation therapy.
- Regular check-ups will be needed after the completion of the treatment.
- The doctor recommends getting imaging tests done during the follow-up sessions to check how successful was the radiation treatment and if there is any cancer recurrence.
FAQ Section
A. When different types of high-energy beams, like x-rays, gamma, electron, or photon waves, are used for destroying the cancer cells in children, the treatment is known as radiation therapy for children.
A. The different types of childhood cancers that can be treated using radiation therapy are:
- Brain and spinal cord tumors
- Head and neck cancers
- Leukemia (a kind of blood cancer)
- Lymphoma (cancer of the lymphatic or disease-fighting system of the body)
- Wilms tumors (a kind of kidney cancer that mostly affects children)
- Ewing sarcoma and osteosarcoma (types of bone cancers)
- Neuroblastoma (cancer in the adrenal glands situated on top of the kidneys)
- Rhabdomyosarcoma (a type of cancer formed in the soft tissues)
- Retinoblastoma (eye cancer)
A. Radiation therapy for children is performed by a radiation oncologist and pediatric oncologist.
A. The following diagnostic tests may be recommended before radiation therapy is provided to children:
- Physical examination: The doctor will evaluate the physical health, symptoms, and medical history of the child.
- Blood tests: Certain underlying medical illnesses can be diagnosed using blood tests.
- Imaging tests: Imaging tests like CT scans, MRI scans, and ultrasounds may be done to obtain a clear image of the suspected cancerous organ.
- Endoscopy: A tube having a camera on one end, known as an endoscope, is used for the examination of an organ internally.
- Biopsy: A portion of the suspected tissue growth is surgically excised by the doctor and sent to the laboratory to check for the presence of cancer cells.
A. The following preparation may be required before a child undergoes radiation therapy:
Inform the doctor about any medical conditions that the child may be having.
If the child is currently on any supplements, medications, or herbs, inform the doctor about the same.
Inform the doctor about any known allergies that the child may be having.
The treatment planning procedure needed before the commencement of the radiation therapy procedure is known as simulation and may include the following steps:
The child is first positioned in a way that can be exactly replicated in the subsequent therapy sessions.
Custom-made masks, casts, or molds may be made to make sure that the child's alignment is proper and the child stays still during the procedure.
The doctor will mark the skin on the treatment area with ink to help in repositioning the child for future therapy sessions.
A CT scan or other imaging tests may be performed to confirm the correct treatment position of the child and also to plan the treatment effectively.
The doctor will plan the number of treatment sessions that will be needed and the radiation dosage needed during each radiation therapy session.
A. Radiation therapy can be performed in the following ways, depending on the type of technique being used:
External beam radiation therapy:
The child will first lie down on the treatment table according to the position decided using a simulation procedure.
The doctor will then move to an adjacent room and monitor the treatment.
The linear accelerator machine moves around the child to give radiation from different angles as the child lies on the treatment table.
This linear accelerator makes a buzzing sound, but the child will not feel anything during the therapy session.
The child can usually go home on the same day after treatment.
Each treatment session lasts for approximately ten to thirty minutes.
Internal radiation therapy or brachytherapy:
A radiation source is implanted or inserted inside the child’s body.
The procedure is generally performed under sedation and the implanted radiation source is placed by the doctor via a thin tube (catheter) or a larger device (applicator).
Systemic radiation therapy:
Radiation source is given in the form of capsules orally or through an intravenous (injected directly into the vein) line to the child.