Radiotherapy in Turkey

Radiotherapy plays an important role in our fight against cancer. Experience and skill set of medical personnel is one of the biggest determinants in the success rate of this procedure. Clinic center presents a high quality, affordable solution to its patients for them to get the best treatment possible. If you like to be more informed about our radiotherapy treatment plans, you can send us your medical documents and our patient representatives in Clinic Center will deliver more information as soon as possible.

 

What is a Radiotherapy?

Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high doses of high-energy rays, such as x-rays to damage cancer cells’ DNA and destroy their ability to divide and grow. The two main reasons for having radiotherapy are to either try to cure cancer or to help control symptoms. A radiation oncologist may use external beam radiation therapy or brachytherapy. Radiotherapy is good at treating certain cancers, whilst some are more resistant to radiation. This means radiotherapy would have less of an effect on these cancers.

 

Radiotherapy Types of Radiotherapy in Turkey

External beam radiotherapy: This is the most common type of radiation therapy. It delivers radiation from a machine outside the body. It can treat large areas of the body, if needed.

Internal radiotherapy: This type of radiation therapy is also called brachytherapy. Internal radiotherapy delivers a high dose of radiation with fewer side effects than external radiotherapy. This is because internal radiotherapy delivers radiation from inside the body, close to the cancer, so affects fewer healthy cells. However, internal radiotherapy is only suitable for smaller cancers.

 

How is a Radiotherapy Done?

External radiation is a lot like getting a regular x-ray. External radiation therapy is usually given with a machine called a linear accelerator which delivers a beam (or multiple beams) of radiation.

For internal radiotherapy, radioactive material is placed into the cancer or surrounding tissue. Implants may be permanent or temporary and may require a hospital stay.

 

Who is a Candidate for Radiotherapy?

External beam radiation therapy is used to treat many types of cancer. Internal radiotherapy is usually used for the treatment of cancers in head and neck, breast, cervix, prostate, and eye area.

 

What are the Risks of Radiotherapy?,

High doses of radiation therapy are used to destroy cancer cells. Side effects come from damage to healthy cells and tissues near the treatment area. Major advances in radiation therapy have made it more precise. This reduces the side effects.

Radiation therapy side effects depend on which part of your body is being exposed to radiation and how much radiation is used. Generally, radiation therapy causes fatigue, hair loss and irritation at the treatment site. For head and neck areas, dry mouth, thickened saliva, difficulty swallowing, sore throat, changes in the way food tastes, nausea, mouth sores, tooth decay. For chest areas, difficulty swallowing, cough, shortness of breath. For abdomen areas, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea. For Pelvis, Diarrhea, bladder irritation, frequent urination, sexual dysfunction. It may also cause Sexual problems, such as erectile dysfunction, Lowered sperm counts and reduced sperm activity. This can occur from radiation therapy to the testes or prostate. For women: Changes in menstruation, such as having menstruation stop, Symptoms of menopause, such as vaginal itching, burning, and dryness, infertility.

 

How Long Does it Take to Recover from Radiotherapy?

After your treatment, most of the side effects generally go away within a few weeks to 2 months. But some of the side effects may continue for a while because it may take some more time for healthy cells to recover from the effects of radiation therapy.

 

Radiotherapy Cost in Turkey

Clinic Center registered in London, UK, offers an affordable radiotherapy treatment that will be carried out in Turkey, a place where high-quality medical services are available. Radiology sessions with the latest technology devices can be challenging to afford in some situations. You can contact to our representatives for more information about radiotherapy prices in Turkey. Thanks to our all-inclusive packages, you will be getting the best prices in Turkey knowing that there won’t be any hidden costs and you will be able to fully plan your treatment in financial terms.

 

 

Radiotherapy Recovery and Aftercare

In most cases, radiotherapy does not require any major lifestyle changes. But overall treatment plan possibly including chemotherapy needs to be taken into consideration for better evaluation. Patient needs to continue with their skincare and protect their skins from over exposure to the sun. Patients may feel fatigued and needs to maintain a healthy diet.

 

Fast Facts About Radiotherapy

Procedure:	Radiation treatment to kill or damage cancer cells and stop them from spreading and growing.
Duration:	15 minutes each session, 1 to 7 weeks, Monday to Friday with a rest at weekends.
Stay:	Radiotherapy does not require hospitalization
Anesthesia:	No Anesthesia (Internal radiation therapy may require an anesthetic before the implantation of the radioactive substance)
Recovery:	Depending on the person, people can return work immediately or need to rest
Pain:	No pain
Scar:	No scars
Side Effects:	Fatigue, hair loss, irritation, dry mouth, thickened saliva, difficulty swallowing, sore throat, change of taste, nausea, mouth sores, tooth decay, cough, shortness of breath, vomiting, diarrhea, bladder irritation, frequent urination, changes in menstruation, vaginal itching, burning, and dryness.
Complications:	Infertility, sexual dysfunction, cardiac problems (These are all area specific complications)

 

Radiotherapy FAQ

 

Does radiation treatment cause hair loss?

Radiation therapy generally causes hair loss to area it is applied.

 

Will I get sedated or feel pain?

Radiation therapy is like getting a chest x-ray, as you cannot feel radiation you will not feel pain. Patients don’t need to be sedated for radiotherapy.

 

How long is a session of radiotherapy?

Each session last about 15 minutes. Usually patient have about, people have 5 sessions per week, from Monday to Friday.

 

Is it safe to get pregnant during radiotherapy treatment?

You should not become pregnant or father a child during your treatment. It is simply because radiotherapy could harm the baby. Before treatment, patients need to take pregnancy test or confirm they are not pregnant.

 

Does it affect fertility?

Radiotherapy to most areas of the body does not your fertility. However, Radiotherapy to the pelvic area and the pituitary gland, may affect your fertility

 

What should I wear during radiation?

Wear comfortable and soft clothes over the area being treated. Avoid any hard surface contact to the area in order to prevent irritation.

 

Can you shower after radiation treatment?

Yes, you can, be careful not to use too hot water in order to prevent your skin from becoming too dry afterwards. You may see some redness on the treated area after sessions.

 

When can I return work after bone marrow transplant?

You are likely to feel well enough to work when you first start your radiation treatments. As time goes on, do not be surprised if you are more tired, have less energy, or feel weak. Once you have finished treatment, it may take just a few weeks for you to feel better—or it could take months.

 

 

Disclaimer
The information on this site is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images, and information, contained on or available through this web site is for general information purposes only. It is not advice on your specific needs and circumstances. It does not replace the need for you to have a thorough consultation, so you should get advice from a suitably qualified doctor or surgeon. Please bear in mind that as with all operations, there are risks involved in having cancer treatment surgery.