Radiotherapy
Everything to know about radiotherapy
Radiation therapy: a locoregional cancer treatment
Radiation therapy is a locoregional treatment that uses ionizing radiation – often referred to as "rays" – to destroy cancer cells. It works by altering the DNA of tumor cells, thereby blocking their ability to multiply and survive.
The main goal of radiation therapy is to precisely target the tumor in order to deliver an effective dose while preserving, as much as possible, the surrounding healthy tissues and nearby organs. This level of precision is especially important in anatomically complex or sensitive areas, such as the eye.
External radiotherapy
A type of radiation therapy that uses a machine outside the body to send high-energy radiation beams toward the area of the body with cancer. It is used to treat many types of cancer. It may also be used to shrink tumors to treat pain and other problems caused by the tumor.
Brachytherapy
A type of radiation therapy in which radioactive implants, such as pellets, seeds, ribbons, wires, needles, balloons, or capsules, are placed in the body, directly into or near the tumor. The radiation is delivered through a flexible tube called a catheter or a larger device called an applicator
Metabolic radiotherapy
A type of radiation therapy in which the radioactive source — usually injectable and unsealed — targets cancer cells by binding to them through their metabolism. A radionuclide (a radioactive chemical) is linked to a cell-targeting molecule. This may help kill the targeted cancer cells while limiting the harm to normal cells.
Radiation therapy for ocular tumors must meet several critical requirements: delivering high radiation doses to a very limited target volume while preserving surrounding intraocular and periocular structures as much as possible. Currently, two main techniques are favored worldwide:
Each technique has its own advantages and limitations, with proton therapy offering a clear benefit: it can be used to treat virtually any type of ocular tumor. Because it relies on an external beam source, proton therapy delivers a precise radiation dose to the tumor without depending on the anatomical placement of a radioactive plaque—something that is not always feasible, especially for intraocular tumors.