Endometrial cancer and pelvic radiation therapy

Endometrial cancer has the highest incidence of gynecological cancer in the United States. According to statistics abroad, the incidence of endometrial cancer among the top ten cancers in women accounts for about fourth. According to statistics from the Department of Health, endometrial cancer There is a continuous upward trend. As women attach importance to cervical cancer and after regular screening, the proportion of cervical cancer has gradually decreased. Endometrial cancer has suddenly formed a new killer for women; Taiwan ’s first diagnosis in the Republic of China in 1991 For cancer patients, the incidence of uterine body cancer among women's top ten cancers rose from the 13th to 9th place in the past. The most common age for endometrial cancer is about 61%, which is 75%, but 25% occurs before menopause.

The most common symptoms of endometrial cancer include vaginal bleeding (and usually vaginal bleeding after menopause), or increased secretions with bloodshot and peculiar smells, which occur in about 90% of patients. At present, there are no effective and clear screening rules. Pap smears cannot detect them effectively, but vaginal ultrasound may be a screening tool that can be used in the future. The exact diagnosis must rely on endometrial sectioning.

The choice of endometrial cancer treatment depends on the site of tumor invasion (stage of disease), age, general health, and other factors. Common treatments include surgery, radiation therapy and hormone therapy. The treatment requires a group of professionals, which usually include gynecological oncologists, radiation oncologists and other related professionals. The physician will decide to use a combination of one or more treatments to treat the patient. Radiotherapy (commonly known as electrotherapy) is the use of high-energy radiation to destroy cancer cells. It belongs to local therapy and only destroys cancer cells in the treatment area. The source of radiation can be from a linear accelerator (extracorporeal radiation therapy) or a temporary placement of radioactive material near the original tumor site (such as vaginal brachytherapy), and some patients need to receive both or only two of them after surgery. A radiation therapy. Extracorporeal radiation therapy requires daily treatment at the hospital, usually five days a week.

Patients should learn how to take care of the treated area during treatment. During this period, the scope of radiotherapy cannot be altered without the permission of the physician. In case of blurred lines, the professional treatment team must re-draw the description to avoid causing wrong treatment fields. Try to avoid washing or rubbing with soap (also within weeks after treatment ends). Patients should avoid applying any lotion or cream without the instructions of a physician to avoid increasing skin reactions. For slight itching, do not use nails to reduce skin irritation and damage. Do not stick with adhesive tape. Patients should wear loose clothing, avoid sunlight, and clothing that can cause friction. After treatment, the skin color becomes darker due to the treatment, and it will naturally fade away, without the need to remove it by external force. Women are usually told not to have sex during radiation treatment. However, most women can return to normal sex after a few weeks of treatment. However, sometimes after vaginal radiation treatment, the vagina will become inelastic and even become sticky, so it is important to resume normal sexual life or learn to use a vaginal dilator as soon as possible. In addition, pain during intercourse can also use lubricants to help alleviate these problems.

All treatments have more or less side effects, which is the price you must pay in exchange for a successful treatment. Patients may become tired during radiation treatment, especially in the later stages of treatment. So rest is important, but physicians often also advise patients to try to maintain physical activity that they can carry. When receiving external radiation therapy, acute side effects may appear two to three weeks after the start of treatment. Generally, hair may fall off in the treatment area, and the skin may become red, dry, tender, itchy, or temporarily black Or red copper. In addition, there may be painless diarrhea, urinary problems (urgency, poor cleanliness, etc.), perineal peeling or worsening hemorrhoids, etc .; however, each person's constitution is different, and the acute side effects and severity are different, even in the morning and evening. There is a gap, but there is no side effect of treatment in areas without irradiation. Fortunately, these fearsome side effects in the past have been greatly reduced after the treatment technology has been greatly improved.