In the field of cancer treatment, radiotherapy has become an important means for many patients to control their condition and halt tumor progression. However, while radiotherapy kills cancer cells, it may also cause adverse reactions to the body.
Therefore, it is crucial for patients and their families to understand the basic knowledge related to tumor radiotherapy.
After being diagnosed with lung cancer, Mr. Zhao, 60 years old, followed the doctor's advice and underwent chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy. However, in the past two months, he has experienced symptoms such as difficulty swallowing and discomfort while eating. Worried about the progression of his condition, he made a special trip to Hainan Cancer Hospital accompanied by his family to seek the diagnosis and treatment assistance of Professor Yang Nong, a specially-appointed expert.
After carefully reviewing Mr. Zhao's imaging data, Professor Yang Nong explained patiently, "From the imaging films, it mainly appears to be thickening of the esophageal wall, which is a radiation effect caused by radiotherapy on the esophagus. Many patients may experience discomfort in swallowing after radiotherapy. From now on, focus on soft and easy-to-swallow foods such as Congee, soft noodles, and soup noodles, and persist in dietary adjustment for one month before coming back for a follow-up visit."
Professor Yang also emphasized to Mr. Zhao: Before eating, touch the bowl wall with your hand to ensure that the food is warm but not too hot to consume. It is crucial to avoid eating hot food.
In response to various questions commonly concerned by patients and their families when facing radiotherapy, Professor Yang Nong is specially invited to provide professional answers in this issue.
Question: Will the body still carry radiation after radiotherapy? Is it necessary to isolate oneself from family members?
Professor Yang Nong replied: Radiotherapy does involve radiation, as it utilizes high-energy rays to eliminate tumor cells. However, there is no need for panic, as radiotherapy radiation is precisely targeted and mainly comes in two types.
The first type is external beam radiotherapy:
External beam radiotherapy is the most common radiotherapy method in clinical practice. Simply put, it involves using radiotherapy equipment to precisely focus and irradiate radiation from outside the body onto the tumor lesion inside the body, with a short single treatment time. A key point is that after receiving external beam radiotherapy, patients do not have any radioactive sources or radiation inside their bodies, and therefore do not need to be isolated. They can live normally with their families.
The second type is internal radiation therapy:
Internal radiation therapy involves placing radioactive sources inside the body to treat tumors at close range. Common methods include afterloading radiotherapy, iodine-131 therapy, and radioactive particle implantation. It is important to distinguish that after the completion of afterloading radiotherapy, the radioactive sources are immediately removed and will not remain in the body. Patients are not exposed to radiation and do not need to be isolated.
For iodine-131 therapy and radioactive particle implantation, the radioactive source will temporarily remain in the body, resulting in patients being exposed to trace amounts of radiation. However, this type of internal radiation has low energy, weak penetrating ability, and limited radiation intensity. Therefore, maintaining an appropriate safe distance from family members is sufficient to ensure safety during daily interactions.
Question: Will radiotherapy cause any side effects?
Professor Yang Nong replied: During the process of killing tumor cells, radiotherapy may inadvertently damage normal tissue cells surrounding the lesion, leading to adverse reactions such as fatigue, lethargy, and skin itching in patients.
However, most of these adverse reactions vary from person to person and are mostly temporary, controllable, and reversible. Through professional nursing care and symptomatic intervention, discomfort can be effectively alleviated and gradual recovery can be achieved.
Overall, the core purpose of radiotherapy is to control disease progression and effectively prolong patient survival.
Expert Introduction
Yang Nong, Chief Physician, Doctoral Supervisor
Long-term employed experts of Hainan Cancer Hospital and Hainan Chengmei Hospital
He currently serves as Vice President of the Second People's Hospital of Hunan Province, head of the oncology department, and director of the "Yang Nong Famous Doctor Clinic" / "Yang Nong Famous Doctor Expert Team Clinic". He is also a chief expert of the National Major Scientific and Technological Special Project, a member of the Lung Cancer Special Committee of the National Tumor Quality Control Center, the director of the Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Lung Cancer, and the director of the Hunan Provincial Respiratory Tumor Clinical Medicine Research Center. He has been dedicated to precision targeted therapy for lung cancer and gastrointestinal tumors, as well as to challenging, recurrent, and drug-resistant clinical cases, scientific research, and teaching for nearly 30 years.
He has been honored with the title of "National Famous Doctor - Excellent Style" in the 6th edition, and has been recommended as "Annual Good Doctor" by patients across the country for 8 consecutive years, as well as being awarded the title of "First Brain Doctor - Famous Doctor". He has authored national guidelines, boasts over 500,000 followers across the internet, and has achieved over 120 million views in cancer prevention and treatment science popularization.
Medical expertise
Specialties: Precision treatment of lung cancer, breakthrough in refractory, recurrent, and drug-resistant cases with brain metastasis; individualized and precise treatment of brain metastases from lung cancer; early diagnosis of pulmonary nodules and lung cancer; personalized and comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of solid tumors; clinical trials of the latest immunotherapy/targeted therapy drugs.
With nearly 30 years of experience in precision immunotherapy for lung cancer, he has led nearly 400 Phase I-III clinical trials of new anticancer drugs (including Class 1 national new drugs), and is particularly skilled in treating complex cases such as refractory, recurrent, and drug-resistant conditions, as well as brain metastases.
He is also proficient in the comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of multiple cancer types, individualized, and interdisciplinary, covering a wide range of solid tumors (such as stomach, intestine, brain, etc.).
[Visit Information]
1. Clinic Hours and Location
May 16th, 14:00-17:00
Sixth Consultation Area of Hainan Cancer Hospital
2. [Appointment registration]
Follow the official account of Hainan Cancer Hospital for "appointment registration"
3. Health consultation
18976324546
[Friendly Reminder]
To help the expert understand your condition quickly, please bring the following:
1. ID card, medical insurance card, and mobile phone
2. Accompanying direct relatives (with decision-making authority)
3. Relevant previous examination results, organized chronologically
4. Paper medical records from previous consultations
5. Surgical case slides, wax blocks, or 20-30 glass slides
6. Pathological diagnosis report
7. Hospitalization medical records
8. Recent relevant examination results
9. The patients current treatment plan
10. The most urgent questions to consult