Radiation therapy

If the leukemia has spread to other organs, radiation therapy may be necessary to treat the cancer. Radiation therapy involves either external high-energy X-rays or radiopharmaceuticals. Radiopharmaceuticals are radiation-emitting chemicals that can be swallowed, injected, or implanted in the body. Radiation therapy damages the DNA of cells, interrupting the cell division and development process.

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External beam radiation is the most widely used type of radiation therapy. During treatment, the radiation is focused from the machine outside the body onto the whole body or to an area where leukemia cells have accumulated. External beam radiation therapy is like getting an X-ray but for a longer time. It usually involves daily treatments over several weeks. Several newer types of external beam radiation are making radiation therapy safer and more effective.

External beam radiation therapy is usually not the main treatment for patients with leukemia, but it is used in certain situations. In some patients, leukemia may cause the spleen to enlarge. An enlarged spleen may press on other organs in the abdomen, such as the stomach, which may result in a loss of appetite. If the symptoms are not improved by chemotherapy, radiation therapy is often a good option. Radiation therapy is also useful in treating pain from bone damage caused by leukemia cells growing in the bone marrow. Sometimes, radiation is used to treat leukemia that has spread to the brain and spinal fluid or to the testicles. Radiation therapy can also be administered in low doses to the whole body, as part of conditioning therapy to prepare the body for a blood and bone marrow transplant.

Radiation therapy attacks cancer cells that are dividing, but it can also affect dividing cells of normal tissues. It is the damage to normal cells that causes side effects. Each time radiation therapy is given, there is a delicate balance between destroying the cancer cells and sparing the normal cells. The main short-term side effects of radiation therapy are sunburnlike skin changes, fatigue, and lowered resistance to infection. Many of these side affects can be lessened by supportive care. Discuss with your doctor how to best manage your side effects.

Patients should check with their doctors before taking any vitamins or nutrition supplements during radiation treatment. Certain vitamins, such as A, E, and C, act as antioxidants and prevent the formation of ions that damage DNA in cells. Some scientists believe that high doses of antioxidant vitamins may reduce the effectiveness of radiation therapy. No studies have thoroughly tested this theory.