Radiotherapy

RADIOTHERAPY

It is estimated that more than three-quarters of all oncology patients will require radiotherapy at some stage of treatment. Radiotherapy, which utilizes ionizing radiation, is one of the three fundamental methods for treating cancer. It can serve as both a radical treatment stage and a component of palliative care.

In radical treatment, radiotherapy can be used as a standalone treatment method or as part of a multi-stage process, combined with surgical and systemic treatments such as chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and immunotherapy. In certain clinical situations, stereotactic radiotherapy and radiosurgery are also employed. In palliative treatment, the goal of therapy is to alleviate the symptoms of the disease, primarily pain.

Indications for treatment include:

• Breast cancer
• Head and neck cancers
• Central nervous system tumors
• Lung, pleura, and mediastinal cancers
• Gastrointestinal tract tumors
• Genitourinary tract tumors
• Bone and soft tissue tumors
• Metastases to bones, brain, lungs, abdominal organs

Radiotherapy also finds applications in non-oncological diseases.

Indications for non-oncological conditions:

• Graves' disease - eye protrusion (orbitopathy)
• Painful shoulder syndrome (periarthritis humeroscapularis)
• Aggressive fibromatosis - surgery followed by complementary radiotherapy
• Tennis elbow (epicondylopathia humeri)
• Golfer's elbow
• Dupuytren's contracture - characterized by palm tendon fibrosis leading to finger flexion
• Plantar fasciitis
• Keratoacanthoma
• Achilles tendonitis
• Extraosseous calcification - before or after surgical procedures
• Painful vertebral hemangiomas
• Ledderhose disease - nodular fibromatosis of the plantar fascia

Detailed information: Non-Oncological Treatment

CONSULTATION

The process of treating a patient begins with a medical consultation where decisions about the treatment modality, methods, and individual stages are made. The consultation involves specialists in surgery, pathology, radiology, clinical oncology, and radiation oncology, as well as DILO coordinators. In cases of complex clinical situations, other specialists may also participate in the consultation.

TREATMENT PROCESS

Radiotherapy consists of fractionated sessions, typically lasting a few minutes each. The number of fractions depends on the type of tumor and the chosen treatment approach. The entire therapy may last for several weeks or longer, and it may be repeated if necessary.

EQUIPMENT

Our centers are equipped with linear accelerators, brachytherapy devices, and state-of-the-art planning, management, and dosimetry verification systems. The planning of radiotherapy is done using computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and PET/CT scans. We offer 3D radiotherapy (IGRT) (3D-IMRT) (3D-SIMRT) (3D-RotlMRT), 4D radiotherapy (4D-IGRT) and IMRT, brachytherapy, Gamma Knife radiosurgery, stereotactic radiotherapy, and radiochemotherapy. Linear accelerators are equipped with Image-Guided RadioTherapy and VisionRT systems, allowing for precise tumor irradiation. In some clinical situations, such as prostate cancer and pancreatic cancer, radiotherapy is performed with the use of markers placed under ultrasound guidance in the area directly adjacent to the tumor. When accounting for respiratory motion in the treatment area, techniques like respiratory gating and Deep Inspiration Breath Hold Radiotherapy are used. These techniques are applied in stereotactic radiotherapy for lung or liver tumors and when irradiating breast cancer patients with left-sided tumors to minimize radiation exposure to the heart.

STAY OPTIONS

Radiotherapy can be performed on an outpatient basis or in a hospital setting. Patients eligible for outpatient treatment may use subsidized transportation or hotel accommodation (including meals). Patients requiring hospitalization are referred to the radiation oncology departments of NU-MED Group facilities.

Complex radiotherapeutic treatment is divided into several stages. At each stage, the patient and their relatives receive comprehensive information about the therapy applied. Efforts are made to minimize the patient's stress and provide the most comfortable treatment conditions. Holistic patient care yields the most effective results.

Radiotherapy is conducted in all NU-MED Group centers:

• Centrum Radioterapii i Onkologii - Elbląg  (Center for Radiotherapy and Oncology - Elbląg)
• Centrum Diagnostyki i Terapii Onkologicznej - Katowice (Center for Oncological Diagnosis and Therapy - Katowice) 
• Specjalistyczny Szpital Onkologiczny - Tomaszów Mazowiecki (Specialised Oncology Hospital - Tomaszów Mazowiecki)
• Centrum Diagnostyki i Terapii Onkologicznej - Zamość (Center for Oncological Diagnosis and Therapy - Zamość)

Information for patients