Some Radiation Therapy Treatments Decreases Fertility

by fabbychx Sun Aug 16, 2009 11:02 pm

In female cancer patients of
reproductive age, radiation treatment directly to the ovaries should be
avoided because there is a direct relationship between certain types of
radiation therapy and fertility problems, according to a review in the
April 1 issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics, the official journal of the American Society for Radiation OncologyASTRO)

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Radiation therapy to
the pelvic region can cause ovarian failure or result in damage that
makes the uterus unable to accommodate the growth of a fetus. These
effects are not a great concern to cancer patients past their
reproductive years, but due to the growing number of pediatric and
young-adult cancer survivors, these effects are increasingly relevant.

Researchers at the Harvard Radiation Oncology Program and the Department of Radiation Oncology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, both in Boston, sought to review the impact of radiation therapy
on fertility, pregnancy and neonatal outcomes among female patients and
the effectiveness of ovarian transposition, or moving the ovaries out
of the field of radiation, as a means of preserving fertility.

The
study authors reviewed the outcomes of past studies that reported
fertility, pregnancy and neonatal outcomes as a result of
cranio-spinal, abdominal and pelvic radiation and
determined that cranio-spinal irradiation caused hormonal changes that
affected a woman’s ability to become pregnant later in life. Women who
received abdominal or pelvic radiation
had an increased risk of uterine dysfunction that lead to miscarriage,
preterm labor, low birth weight and placental abnormalities. The study
also determined that women who received low doses of ovarian radiation
can suffer early menopause.

Ovarian transposition was proven to
be an effective method of reducing the rates of ovarian dysfunction,
but even if the ovaries are outside of the field of radiation, scatter
dose can cause significant damage.

“Female patients who are not
past their reproductive years would be best served by a
multidisciplinary team of caregivers, including a radiation oncologist,
pediatric oncologist, medical oncologist, a reproductive
endocrinologist or gynecologist, and a maternal fetal medicine
specialist,” Akila Viswanathan, M.D., M.P.H., senior author and a
radiation oncologist at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Dana
Farber Cancer Institute, said. “Only through a multidisciplinary
approach will patients receive optimal care of their cancer and the
best options for fertility preservation.”

Source: ASTRO

by **melai** Mon Aug 17, 2009 3:15 pm

i hope no one is discouraged.. we have radiation protection (the proper way to care for ourselves and for patients). we are here as Radiologic Technology students to know what we should be doing, and we are here to soon be testimonies on how radiation can be more of a use rather than a foreseen disaster. bounce

by **Admin** Mon Aug 17, 2009 10:55 pm

ok as we know cancer can hit anyone, any age or any gender. we need to weight the risk and benefits from the treatment. you should consider, can the risk outweighs the benefits.

as a radtech we are responsible for the treatment of the patient and its proper dosage and shielding to the part is required. as a radtech student or an intern we should take extra effort to know the basic in this field you should not waste the time that is given to you to be trained in this field.