Radiotherapy

Radiotherapy is the use of high-energy radiation to kill malignant cells in very localized areas.

It is a treatment less used for colon cancer, but common in the case of rectal cancer. It is generally combined with other therapeutical strategies, especially chemotherapy.

Combined with other therapies, radiotherapy can be used as:

Adjuvant treatment

Adjuvant treatments are applied after the primary therapy to enhance its effectiveness. As such, this type of radiotherapy is done post- surgery to guarantee that no malignant cells have remained in the healthy tissues. It is often used when the cancer is difficult to extract, having crossed the intestinal wall or entered neighboring lymph nodes. This approach tries to eliminate any possibility of a disease relapse in the future. 

Neoadjuvant treatment

Neoadjuvant treatments are done before to the primary treatment to improve its result. Here radiotherapy is given before surgery to the rectum. The approach, called neoadjuvant radiotherapy, is used to shrink the tumor and facilitate surgery, and often can save the tissues of the rectum and sphincter, avoiding a colostomy.

Treatment for Metastatic cancer

Radiotherapy can also be used for advanced stages of disease. In these cases, the aim is to help control the cancer and reduce its symptoms, such as constipation, blood loss or pain from the metastases.

TYPES OF RADIOTHERAPY

Whatever the stage of your rectal cancer, there are several options for radiotherapy:

• External approaches - besides the traditional external radiotherapy, these include imaging-guided radiotherapy or intensity-modulated radiotherapy
• Internal forms of radiotherapy - such as intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) - where the tumor is irradiated during surgery - or endorectal brachytherapy in which a radioactive source is put inside, next or into the tumor.

Your medical team will select the best approach for your case, together with you.