Less than 2,500 individuals get a diagnosis of primary bone cancer annually in the United States, according to the Mayo Clinic; however, bone cancer that metastasized due to a cancer located elsewhere in the body (secondary bone cancer) is more common. But regardless of whether the bone cancer is primary or secondary, radiation therapy is typically the second treatment choice for this type of cancer, with surgery being the first. This is due mostly to the fact that radiation therapy for bone cancer is usually not as effective, since it doesn't kill cancer cells of this type very well.
Radiation Therapy Options
Radiation therapy, also known as radiotherapy or X-Ray therapy, is one treatment method available for bone cancer. And according to the American Cancer Society (see link in the Resources below), there is more than one radiation therapy options available for bone cancer: external beam radiation therapy (EBRT), intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and proton-beam radiation (PBT).
Side Effects of External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT)
In this type of treatment option, the radiation is directed at the specific cancer site from outside the body. Therefore, one side effect of this treatment is that it destroys healthy skin, cells, tissue and other structures (like nerves) that lie between the external beam and the cancer site within the body.
Thus, depending upon the cancer location site (like the skull or the spine), the potential side effect risk for damage to nearby nerves and other body structures can be high with this treatment option. Loss of nerve function (which can impact a variety of body functions) is also a possible side effect.
Side Effects of Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)
Although similar to EBRT, intensity-modulated therapy offers fewer side effects. There is still the potential for the side effects of skin, cell, tissue and other body structure damage or destruction, but the side effect risk is diminished with IMRT. The reason is due to the IMRT machines computerized ability to emit a beam in the shape of the tumor being targeted (rather than a large round beam that covers unnecessary areas as well).
In addition, the machine can vary the strength of the beam used, and it can physically move the beam arm to other angles, hitting the cancer from several directions, which reduces the side effects of too much damage to one particular area of the body while also killing the cancer in all directions.
Side Effects of Proton-Beam Radiation (PBT)
As with the other two radiation therapy types, proton-beam radiation also has the side effect of damaging or destroying healthy cells, tissues and nerves; however, of the three radiation types, this one poses the least side effect risk in this regard. In addition, whereas EBRT will pass through the cancer site, continuing on into the body (damaging it to some extent), proton-beam radiation doesn't. It stops at the tumor site, not going any further into the body.
Significance
Proton-beam radiation is currently only offered at certain medical centers, according to the American Cancer Society, due to the specialized machines required to perform this type of radiation.
Tags: bone cancer, side effect, this type, cancer site, effect risk