Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy is usually part of cancer treatment administered under the guidance of an oncologist. It is used along with other treatments such as chemotherapy and surgery to control malignant cells. Radiation controls cell growth and plays a vital role in destroying cells or keep them from multiplying. The oncologist will decide on the kind of radiation and dosage of radiation. Some amount of healthy cells are likely to be targeted in the radiation therapy. There are two forms of radiation therapy.
External beam radiation: High powered x-rays are directed into or near the tumor from outside the body.
Internal beam radiation: Here the radiation is done from inside or near the tumor.
The side-effects of radiation therapy are hair loss, nausea, vomiting, skin problems, increased susceptibility to infection and low blood counts. Radiation therapy cannot be used on a pregnant woman. Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers among men. This type of cancer grows very slowly. High levels of animal fat in the diet may have a role to play in the occurence of prostate cancer. It can also have a genetic factor. High levels of testosterone and certain chemical exposures may be responsible for prostate cancer. If detected early, prostate cancer can be successfully treated.
The prostrate gland is part of the male reproductive system and is located underneath the urinary bladder in men. It secretes some of seminal fluid. Male hormones that stimulate the prostate cause the prostate to grow till a boy reaches adulthood. Then it maintains it's normal size. But if the size of the prostate grows beyond it's normal size, it lays pressure on the urethra and affects the flow of urine. Often prostate cancer does not surface as noticeable symptoms or pain. Symptoms of prostate cancer include difficulty in starting urination and need for frequent urination. Men suffering from enlarged prostate may feel pain or burning during urination and ejaculation. Blood may be noticed in the urine or semen. There may be dull pain in the lower pelvic region and intermittent urine flow.
A digital rectal examination can help in detecting prostate cancer. Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) is tested in a blood sample. This test allows a physician to detect the incidence of prostate cancer at an early staga. Men over 50 years must get a PSA test done yearly. Radiation therapy is used to treat prostate cancer. Radiation destroys cancerous cells and it is used with computer-imaging software so that the exact location of the prostate is attacked. In this way, damage to surrounding healthy tissue can be avoided. Hormone therapy is used along with radiation to combat prostate cancer. Drugs such as leuprolide and goserelin are effective in blocking testicles from receiving messages to produce testosterone. This type of treatment is used to shrink large tumors. Chemotherapy is effective in treating hormone-resistant prostate cancer. Surgical removal of the prostate gland is sometimes resorted to.
Fluoroscopy
Fluoroscopy is used to study moving body structures. An x ray beam is continuously passed into the body part to be examined it is transmitted to a TV-like monitor so that the body part in motion is studied in detail. As an imaging technique, fluoroscopy is commonly employed by physicians to obtain real-time images of the internal structures of a patient during minimally invasive and microscopic surgical procedures, as well as many types of diagnostic tests like discography.
Fluoroscope: In its simplest form, fluoroscopy consists of an x ray source and a fluorescent screen between which a patient is placed. Modern fluoroscopes couple the screen to an X ray image intensifier and a video camera allowing the images to be played and recorded on a monitor. Traditional fluoroscopes consisted of an x ray source and fluorescent screen between which the patient was placed. Modern fluoroscopes have shown several improvements in screen phosphors, image intensifiers and even flat panel detectors. These allow for increase quality while minimizing the radiation dosage to the patient. Modern fluoroscopes also use the CSI screens and produce noise-limited images. This ensures minimal radiation dosage results while still obtaining images of acceptable quality.
Fluoroscopy can be adopted on an inpatient or outpatient basis. Depending upon the specific type of procedure or examination, it is determined whether any preparation prior to the procedure is required. All fluoroscopic procedures pose potential health risk to the patient. Fluoroscopy uses more radiation than standard x rays. Radiation doses depend upon the size of the patient as well as the length of the procedure. Fluoroscopy is widely used in orthopedic surgery to guide fracture reduction and the placement of metal work. Fluoroscopy is used in many diagnostic and therapeutic radiological procedures to observe the action of instruments being used either to diagnose or to treat the patient. Fluoroscopy is also used to help find a foreign object in the body, position a needle for a medical procedure or re align a broken bone. Different types of fluoroscopy procedures:
- Esophogram: x ray study of the throat.
- Upper G I series: is a study of the esophagus, stomach and duodenum.
- Small bowel series: is a study of the stomach and entire small intestine.
- Barium enema: is a study of colon.
- Hystersalpingogram: is a study of the uterus and fallopian tubes.
- Intravenous Pyelography: is a study of the kidneys, ureters, and the urinary bladder.
- Voiding cystourethrogram: is the study of the bladder and urethra.
- Arthrogram: is a study of the shoulder and knee joint showing ligament and tears.
Bibliography / Reference
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