Colorectal cancer
Radiotherapy
The objective of radiotherapy is to deliver a high dose of radiation to a volume of treatment in order to maximize tumor control, keeping the dose in nearby tissues as low as possible to reduce the probability of severity of complications in normal tissues.
Clinical data has shown around 50% of patients would benefit from IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy ) treatment, but it must be performed safely, quickly and efficiently from planning to delivery.
Elekta (creators of our radiotherapy equipment, “Versa HD”) developed rotational IMRT, a delivery technique known in Spanish as Modulated Volumetric Arc Therapy (VMAT).
VMAT ( Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy ) is an advanced radiation therapy technique that delivers high doses of radiation specifically to the target (tumor) while reducing the dose to surrounding tissue and surrounding organs. With the use of single or multiple high-energy rays or particles that move in the form of interrupted arcs around the patient, this technique allows us to drastically reduce treatment times.
This gives VMAT of:
- Greater control.
- Greater flexibility.
- Greater dose compliance.
The Elekta VMAT technique allows optimizing the administration of the dose to the needs of each patient, customizing their treatment according to their pathology. In this way, it provides a highly patient-focused procedure, giving us new method opportunities, while offering the freedom to simultaneously vary a number of parameters during the delivery of radiotherapy without having to compromise your treatment plan or its accuracy by time to administer.
Advantages of the VMAT
The IMRT-VMAT technique has advantages for patients who require a dose increase or a simultaneous integrated dose booster, it can be considered as an option especially to protect: kidney, bladder, femoral heads, small intestine, among others.
In case of re-irradiation in recurrent, unresectable and/or inoperable disease or need to cover blood nodes, in all these cases showing less toxicity benefits.
Better compliance and dose homogeneity, especially around the spine.
Lower average doses of vital OARs (Organs at Risk), such as: bladder, femoral heads, intestine, among others.
Maximum dose reduction in OARs, said dose reduction, could lead to an improvement in late effects and an increased quality of life.
Radiotherapy in rectal cancer
In rectal cancer, radiation therapy uses high-energy rays or particles (for example, x-rays) to kill cancer cells. It is most often used in conjunction with chemotherapy in a pre-operative manner with the aim of reducing tumor size and thus avoiding more extensive surgeries.
At the COC we have a radiotherapy team that offers:
- Advances in systemic therapy and radiotherapy that have prolonged survival.
Radiotherapy that reduces the risk of locoregional recurrence after surgery by at least 70%. - Radiotherapy that prolongs survival in early and advanced stages after radical surgery.
- We have the appropriate technology to apply modern techniques that offer long-term benefit by controlling late toxicity.
- Advances in systemic therapy and radiotherapy that have prolonged survival.
Situation of colorectal cancer in Mexico
- Colon and rectal cancer is the third most frequent type of cancer in Mexico. The International Agency for Cancer Research of the WHO estimates that colon and rectal cancer is the 3rd most frequent in Mexico with 14,900 new cases per year.
- According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, belonging to the World Health Organization (WHO), of the 14,900 cases registered in 2018, approximately 48% of diagnosed patients died.
- In Mexico there has been an upward trend in colorectal cancer (CRC) mortality rates in the last 3 decades. This neoplasm is classified within the 10 most frequent causes of morbidity due to malignant neoplasms in Mexico.
Radiotherapy in the treatment of colorectal tumors
External Beam Therapy : This treatment is a form of radiation therapy performed with several high-energy x-ray beams that directly impinge on the patient’s tumor over the course of one to six weeks. These X-rays deliver radiation into the patient’s tumor in order to kill cancer cells, while minimizing the effects on surrounding healthy tissue. The most common side effects are fatigue and changes in the frequency of bowel movements.
Radiation therapy treatment may be used before surgery (usually along with chemotherapy) to try to shrink the tumor and make it easier to remove. Also after surgery, if the cancer has adhered to an internal organ or to the lining layer inside the stomach region (abdomen). Radiation therapy may be used to try to kill any cancer cells that may be left behind.
It can work in conjunction with chemotherapy to help control cancer in people who are not in good enough health for surgery, to relieve symptoms if advanced-stage cancer is causing blockage, bleeding, or pain and to help treat cancer that has spread to other areas, such as the bones.