From the Guidelines
External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT) is a crucial treatment modality for cervical cancer, with a recommended dose of approximately 45 Gy to the primary tumor and regional lymphatics. When considering treatment options for cervical cancer, it's essential to understand the role of EBRT in managing the disease. According to the study published in the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network 1, the primary tumor and regional lymphatics at risk are typically treated with definitive EBRT to a dose of approximately 45 Gy (40-50 Gy). The volume of the EBRT would depend on the nodal status as determined surgically or radiographically. Some key points to consider when using EBRT for cervical cancer include:
- The primary cervical tumor is then boosted, using brachytherapy, with an additional 30-40 Gy to point A (in LDR equivalent dose), for a total point A dose of 80 Gy (small volume cervical tumors) to ≥ 85 Gy (larger volume cervical tumors) 1.
- Grossly involved unresected nodes may be evaluated for boosting with an additional 10-15 Gy of highly conformal (and reduced volume) EBRT.
- With higher doses, especially of EBRT, care must be taken to exclude, or to severely limit, the volume of normal tissue included in the high-dose region(s) 1. Given the information provided, it appears that the term "xbrt" may be referring to external beam radiation therapy, but without additional context, it's challenging to provide a more specific answer. If you could clarify your question, I'd be happy to provide a more detailed and useful response.
From the Research
xbrt Overview
- xbrt is not directly mentioned in the provided studies, however, some studies discuss radiation therapy and its effects on the body.
- Radiation therapy is a treatment method that uses high-energy particles or waves to kill cancer cells 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
- There are different types of radiation therapy, including stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) and proton therapy 3, 4, 6.
Radiation Therapy Side Effects
- Radiation therapy can cause side effects, such as damage to hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, leading to bone marrow failure 2.
- Radiation recall is a phenomenon where radiation therapy can cause skin and muscle reactions when combined with certain chemotherapy agents, such as gemcitabine 5.
- The relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of proton therapy is still being researched, and its value can vary depending on several physical and biological parameters 6.
Treatment Options
- Treatment options for radiation-induced side effects include transfusions, anti-bacterial and -viral drugs, molecularly-cloned hematopoietic growth factors, and hematopoietic cell transplants 2.
- Adaptive MR guided SBRT (MRgSBRT) is a treatment paradigm that can be used to prescribe ablative doses to pancreatic tumors, even when they are abutting or invading gastrointestinal organs at risk (OARs) 4.