Dr. Nihat Sözer

Radiotherapy is the directing of high-energy rays to the targeted area in order to disrupt the ability of cancer cells to multiply. The treatment is painless and is usually continued in short sessions.

Planning is done before the application: tomography is taken in the treatment position, the target volume and organs to be protected are marked, and the dose distribution is calculated on the computer. This stage may take a few days as it determines the effectiveness of the treatment.

Number of sessions and total dose. It is determined according to the type of tumor, its location, stage and the general condition of the patient. Radiotherapy can be applied alone or can be planned together with surgery or drug treatment.

The effects of radiotherapy are largely limited to the area irradiated. The most common general symptom is fatigue, which may become evident as treatment progresses.

Regional effects vary by area: dry mouth, difficulty swallowing, and taste change in the head and neck area; discomfort when swallowing in the chest area. Changes in bowel habits may be observed in the abdomen and pelvis area. Redness and dryness on the skin are common findings.

Most of these effects subside in the weeks following the end of treatment. Skin care, nutritional support and oral care recommendations are provided throughout the process. Complaints are questioned regularly during sessions and supportive treatment is added when necessary.

Cancer treatment is not carried out by the decision of a single department. Surgery, medical oncology, radiation oncology, radiology and pathology evaluate together; this meeting is called the council.

In the council, the patient's imaging results, pathology report, staging findings, age, comorbidities and general condition are discussed. The aim is to determine the order in which the treatment steps will be applied.

In some patients, surgery is appropriate first, and in others, drug therapy or radiation therapy is appropriate first. As treatment continues, the response is evaluated and the plan is reviewed if necessary. Therefore, the council is not a one-time decision mechanism, but a decision mechanism that works throughout the process.