Radiotherapy for gynecological cancer

Gynecological cancer is an umbrella term for tumors in the uterus, cervix, vagina, vulva, and ovaries. The exact treatment will depend on the location, size, and stage of the tumor as well as your overall health.

Various radiotherapy treatment options

Radiotherapy is an option after surgery to lower the risk of recurrence.
Radiation can also be a primary treatment type and is sometimes used in combination with chemotherapy. This is called chemoradiation. Your radiation oncologist will determine the exact location that will receive the radiation beams. Sometimes your lymph nodes will also require radiation. This is a curative treatment.

If the cancer is too advanced, you can receive radiotherapy to alleviate symptoms like pain, or blood loss.

If you are receiving chemoradiation for ovarian cancer, you will most likely receive internal radiation treatment. Uterine cancer can also be treated with a form of internal radiation called brachytherapy. You can read more about radiotherapy for ovarian cancer on this page.

Precise radiation

Our Radiation Oncology Department is constantly working on the development of new techniques using the most advanced technology currently available - both in diagnostic imaging, preparation, and radiation itself. This allows us to deliver the most effective treatment possible to you, while sparing as much healthy tissue as possible.

Consultation with your radiation oncologist

You will meet with your radiation oncologist to discuss your situation and the treatment that best fits you, its goal, expected outcome preparation, execution, and side effects.

Multidisciplinary team meeting

Your situation, test results and medical history will be discussed in a multidisciplinary team meeting consisting of specialists such as gastroenterologists, surgeons, and radiation oncologists, in order to find the treatment that best fits you. Your radiation oncologist will discuss the results with you.

Research

We are constantly working to improve and develop radiation treatment through research. if your radiation oncologist knows of a trial that you may qualify for, he or she will let you know. You will receive more information to make an informed decision. Your participation is voluntary. if you decide not to participate, you will be treated according to the latest protocols and developments.

Preparations

We will provide information about the treatment during your preparatory consultation. There will be plenty of room to ask questions.

You will get a CT as a preparation for the treatment. You will be taking the same position you would during radiation treatment: on your back. We may administer an iv for a contrast solution. You will receive instructions on how to fill your bladder. Your radiation oncologist will project laser lines on the skin. You will receive small tattooed dots on these lines in order to deliver the radiation to the same spots during your next session.

Some people will also come in for an MRI scan to prepare for treatment.

Radiation treatment planning

Your radiation oncologist will draw the placement of the radiation field on these CT and MRI scans. He or she will calculate the optimal external beam radiation using special software: the radiation treatment plan. It is important to ensure that the field receives the correct dose and that the surrounding tissue is spared as much as possible.

Radiation delivery

Radiotherapy lab technicians will ensure that you are positioned correctly on the table. The beams on your body will overlap with the tattooed dots on your body.

We will often check whether your position is still correct by using a CT scanner attached to the machine. This allows us to make small adjustments to your position in order to ensure that the radiation matches the tumor shape as closely as possible. The lab technicians will follow the treatment on monitors.

The delivery of the radiation itself will take a few minutes. The total time of the treatment will be approximately 15 minutes. The beams won’t hurt, although you will start to notice the effects of the radiation.

Check-ups with your radiation oncologist

During your treatment you will regularly meet with your radiation oncologist to discuss the progress and to ask any questions you may have. Your radiation oncologist will offer advice on how to deal with the side effects you are experiencing and prescribe medication if needed. You will also hear about the next step after your treatment.

Side effects

You may notice the acute side-effects after two or three weeks of treatment. These will increase in severity over the course of your treatment and may linger for months after its end. Some side-effects may be permanent. Your practicing physician can tell you which side effects you can expect.

What you can do

If your symptoms, situation, and overall health allow, we recommend daily exercise to improve your recovery. You could consider walking or biking, or exercise under the supervision of a physical therapist. We also recommend continuing your day to day activities as much as possible.

General nutritional guidelines apply during treatment.

Please consult your practicing physician if you wish to continue taking additional vitamins or supplements during your treatment.