Combined Modalities with Radiation Therapy
Combined modality therapy combines radiation with other treatments. Chemotherapy or radiation used alone may not get the best results. Increasing the dose of either can lead to worse side effects. When the therapies are combined, though, treatment results can improve without hurting normal tissue. For instance, chemotherapy might be given before radiation, during radiation, or both to help shrink and kill a tumor. It might be given after radiation to prevent remaining cancer cells from spreading. This method of treatment is becoming standard in many cancers. That includes cancer of the cervix, lung, head, and neck.
Coleman says the use of radiation with new biological agents is very exciting. Endostatin and angiostatin are proteins that occur naturally in the body. Studies in animals have shown that they can shrink tumors. They do this by stopping new blood vessels from growing. Then the tumor can’t be nourished. There are few side effects, so normal cells are not damaged. Using this treatment long-term along with chemotherapy or radiation shows promise.