Radiation Therapy for Uterine Cancer

Endometrial cancer patients may receive radiation therapy for several different reasons. Patients who are at a high risk of their cancer recurring can benefit from radiation therapy following a hysterectomy. Radiation therapy is also a good primary treatment option for patients who are unable to undergo surgery.

At Siteman, many women with endometrial cancer follow a treatment protocol that combines intensity-modulated radiation therapy, or IMRT, with internal radiation therapy, or brachytherapy.

Brachytherapy

Brachytherapy, or internal radiation therapy, is a method of radiation that involves delivering radiation near, or sometimes within, a patient’s tumor. It’s often paired with external beam radiation therapy.

Endometrial cancer patients may undergo brachytherapy following a hysterectomy. When a patient with endometrial cancer undergoes brachytherapy, a small cylinder is fit to the patient (depending on their vaginal length and size) and placed inside the vagina. The cylinder is then connected to an external radiation source and the radiation particle travels through a wire to be delivered right at the vaginal surface. This allows the radiation to access and treat right at the top of the vagina, a common place for uterine cancer to return.

Patients usually receive brachytherapy in a series of outpatient treatments. During this method, called “high dose rate brachytherapy,” the cylinder is placed in the patient’s body for only a few minutes at a time during each treatment.

Siteman Cancer Center has one of the largest brachytherapy centers in the United States. We perform approximately 1,200 procedures a year for gynecologic cancer.

Radiation oncologists here were among the first in the country to offer Image-Guided Adaptive Brachytherapy (IGABT) and have set the protocols and standards of care for this highly specialized and target-specific treatment that allows the oncologist to adapt both the dose and parameters of radiation beams.

Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)

IMRT is an advanced form of external-beam radiation therapy, in which radiation beams from a large machine are aimed at a patient’s tumor site. The advantage of IMRT is that it allows radiation oncologists to precisely map the radiation onto the 3-dimensional shape of the tumor. They do this by adjusting the amount of radiation in each beam. Because the radiation is conformed to the tumor so accurately, it poses less damage to surrounding tissues.

It is painless to receive IMRT. The patient lies still while radiation is directed to their tumor from the radiation machine.

Does radiation therapy hurt?

Many patients are nervous about receiving radiation therapy. They worry that the radiation will burn them, or that it will make them a danger to those around them.

However, it’s actually painless to undergo radiation therapy. You can’t feel the radiation beams as they enter your body and target the tumor cells. In addition, it is perfectly safe for you to be around your loved ones after your treatment sessions.

As endometrial cancer patients advance through their course of radiation therapy, they may notice a number of side effects. These include:

• Digestive problems, such as diarrhea
• Feeling tired
• Bladder irritation

You can always talk to your treatment team about any problems you are experiencing. Though these issues can be sensitive and difficult to ask your physician, it’s important to be candid about how you are feeling. There are treatments for the side effects caused by radiation therapy. If you are struggling, we want to help you feel better as soon as possible.