Patient's question:
A friend's father was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and the surgical risk was relatively high, so they were hesitant to proceed with surgery. Instead, they decided on radiotherapy, which is radical external beam radiotherapy for the prostate. I haven't heard of this before—how exactly does it work?Doctor's answer:
Radical external beam radiotherapy for the prostate primarily involves using radiation to irradiate the tumor site, completely eliminating cancer cells or rendering them inactive. Before treatment, patients undergo a thorough CT scan for precise localization and to confirm the total radiation dose. Typically, patients receive treatment 5 days a week for 7-8 consecutive weeks, with each treatment session lasting only a few minutes. Combining radiotherapy with traditional Chinese medicine treatments, such as Panax Notoginseng Saponins Rh2 capsules, can yield better results. This combination can help prevent nausea and fatigue caused by radiotherapy, as well as enhance white blood cell counts.