‘X-rays’

Learn How Mammograms are Performed

Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

A mammogram is an x-ray of the breast. It is used to detect tumors and to help differentiate benign or malignant cancer problems. How is the test? You will pass a room where you find the computer. You’ll have to take off the top but will give you a gown to your tapes. Depending on the type of used equipment, you can stay seated or standing. A breast is placed on a flat surface that contains the x-ray

A device called a compressor will press firmly against the breast to help flatten the breast tissue. X-ray images are taken from several angles. You can ask the patient to hold your breath while taking each image. Sometimes you’ll be asked back at a later date to take more breast imaging. (more…)

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Treatment of Breast Cancer Radiotherapy Session Limits

Monday, March 22nd, 2010

Treatment of Breast Cancer Radiotherapy

A pioneering treatment to treat breast cancer, which reduces the radiation to a half hour session, is achieving good results in trials with patients, according to doctors at University College London.

The test, used after removal of the tumor in cases where the cancer is at an advanced stage, kills any remaining cancer cells with a concentrated emission of radiation.

Currently, women with breast cancer undergoing radiation therapy five sessions lasting about six weeks after surgery, that attempts to preserve most of the chest rather than a mastectomy, according to experts.

The doctors are confident that once you go to publish the results of tests later this year, could be offered a single radiation therapy (known in its acronym in English as IORT), according to experts, led by oncologist Michael Baum whose studies published today, the newspaper “The Times”. (more…)

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Testing a Less Invasive Therapy

Tuesday, March 16th, 2010

Testing a Less Invasive Therapy

Breast Cancer

After removing a tumor, would be reduced ray sessions from five to just one. It’s a British medical research.

After removing a breast tumor, in cases where the cancer is at an advanced stage, should be carried out sessions of radiotherapy to kill any remaining cancer cells. Currently, patients undergo five sessions that last about six weeks after surgery. But doctors at University College London are testing a new treatment that could reduce treatment to a single session. (more…)

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What is Radiation Therapy?

Saturday, February 20th, 2010

Radiation therapy uses particles similar to those of X-rays, but of higher energy capable of penetrating into the body.

This technique for cancer treatment acts on the tumor, destroying the malignant cells and preventing them from growing and reproducing, but also destroys normal tissues temporarily, so that radiotherapy has side effects. The advantage is that healthy cells have greater capacity for regeneration than cancer, so the body recovers from the damage once it has managed to remove the tumor and treatment is completed.

Radiation therapy can be administered either as monotherapy or as adjunct to surgery or chemotherapy. When the previously radiated area affected by the tumor, its size is reduced further by facilitating the surgeon’s intervention. In the event that received radiation after undergoing surgery, the goal is to destroy cells that have been left after excision.

(more…)

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