Radiotherapy for malignant disorders
In addition to surgery and chemotherapy, radiotherapy constitutes one of the most important pillars in the treatment of malignant tumour-related disorders. It involves the application of high-energy (hard) x-rays that are targeted to inhibit the growth of the cells and destroy them accordingly. The radiation primarily damages the nucleus (the genetic make-up), rendering the cells unable to divide. Since the repair mechanisms in the nucleus of cancer cells are often defective, they react particularly sensitively to irradiation: the cells suspend their growth or die off. The tumour regresses noticeably or ceases at least to grow – which results in the tumour becoming smaller and tumour-related ailments diminish.
Radiotherapy for benign disorders
Even benign growths and disorders can be treated with radiotherapy, e.g. benign growths in the brain or the meninges (changes to blood vessels, benign tumours), local inflammations such as abscess or furuncle (boils), keloids (overgrowth of scar tissue), as well as degenerative disorders of the joints (osteoarthritis). Usually the necessary dosage of radiation is significantly lower for benign growths and disorders in comparison to cancerous disorders since the tissue is not supposed to be destroyed in the process.
In the case of benign growths or changes, the radiotherapy triggers metabolic reactions that increase the blood circulation of the tissue and influence the course of the inflammation process favourably. Consequently, inflammations can heal faster:
- The inflamed cells are killed off.
- The area of tissue affected by the inflammation is returned to its normal condition.