Radiotherapy is one of the most important therapeutic methods when treating cancer. It is used for most oncology types at almost any stage. The effectiveness and safety of radiation exposure vary significantly at different clinics because they depend on the quality of the equipment and the professionalism of the medical center staff. You can undergo radiotherapy in Germany and expect good results and a low risk of complications.
The importance of radiotherapy in oncology treatment
Cancer radiation therapy is one of the main treatments, along with surgery and chemotherapy. In most cases, this is an additional treatment method. Radiation therapy is provided after surgery, alone or in combination with chemotherapy, to reduce the risk of cancer recurrence. In certain situations, irradiation becomes the main treatment option:
- Cancer can be cured with irradiation (for example, radiation therapy for prostate cancer, testicular cancer, early-stage lymphomas, or low-grade brain tumors)
- Cancer is inoperable due to its advanced stage (radiotherapy helps curb tumor growth)
- Cancer has recurred after removal surgery (for example, radiation therapy is the main treatment for recurrent cervical cancer from a vaginal stump)
- A patient is contraindicated for surgery
Goals of radiotherapy
Based on the goal that radiation therapy sets for itself, it can be:
- Radical, which is aimed at curing cancer
- Adjuvant, which is the most common option used after tumor removal surgery
- Neoadjuvant, which is used if the tumor is too large and has to be shrunk before its removal
- Palliative, which is used to shrink the tumor in incurable cancer to improve life expectancy (for example, radiation therapy for lung cancer that is usually inoperable at the time of detection)
- Symptomatic, which is used to improve the patient’s quality of life
Types of radiotherapy
Radiotherapy can be classified as follows:
- External beam radiation therapy – the use of a device located outside the body that delivers radiation to the human body (the most common option)
- Brachytherapy is internal irradiation with radioactive materials
- Regional radiotherapy involves the administration of radioactive substances into the artery supplying the tumor (most often used for liver cancer or liver metastases)
- Radionuclide therapy is systemic radiotherapy that involves the injection of a radiopharmaceutical into the systemic circulation
In practice, doctors at German Radiotherapy Centers most often use external beam radiotherapy options. There are enough of them. Outdated, toxic types of radiation have not been used for a long time for radiation therapy in Germany. Large hospitals are equipped with state-of-the-art linear accelerators that provide high-precision irradiation of malignant tumors with minimal damage to surrounding tissues.
German Centers for Radiation Oncology use the following methods:
3D conformal radiotherapy is planned, taking into account the volume of the tumor. The beams enter the body from different directions and converge on the target to minimize the radiation dose to the healthy tissues.
Intensity-modulated radiotherapy is an advanced form of radiation in which doctors can reduce the dose of radiation to areas that need to be avoided. The technique is successfully used for the irradiation of neoplasms near large blood vessels, nerves, and vital organs.
Image-guided radiotherapy involves imaging (MRI or CT scans) before each stage of radiation to assess the location of the tumor.
Radiosurgery involves the destruction of a brain tumor in one session.
Body stereotactic radiotherapy involves the destruction of a tumor outside of the brain in one or more sessions.
Intraoperative irradiation is performed once immediately after tumor removal surgery and avoids postoperative radiation therapy (for example, intraoperative radiation therapy for breast cancer).
Proton therapy uses protons instead of photons. This is the safest type of radiation therapy, which is used for brain tumors and head and neck tumors and is used in pediatric oncology.
Why to undergo radiation treatment in Germany?
If you opt to have your cancer care in Germany, you can undergo modern radiation therapy. German hospitals use state-of-the-art linear accelerators and radiosurgical units. Doctors use X-Knife, CyberKnife, Clinac Synergy-S, Edge, Novalis, and TrueBeam devices. Some centers also use the Gamma Knife to irradiate brain tumors, and six hospitals use proton therapy. Most foreign patients undergo it at the University Hospitals in Essen and Heidelberg.You are welcome to visit the Booking Health website if you want to know which hospitals offer radiation therapy, check prices, and make an appointment for your preferred dates. Treatment will cost you 40-70% less if you make your appointment at a clinic through our service. Radiotherapy costs in Germany will be lower due to the absence of taxes for foreign patients. The Booking Health specialists will help you select the most suitable hospital and organize your trip. We will contact the hospital administration, schedule an appointment for your preferred dates, and book a hotel room and airline tickets. We will also take care of your transfer from the airport to the hospital and back.
David Prior
David Prior is the editor of Today News, responsible for the overall editorial strategy. He is an NCTJ-qualified journalist with over 20 years’ experience, and is also editor of the award-winning hyperlocal news title Altrincham Today. His LinkedIn profile is here.
