This episode talks with Dr. Lauren Boreta about the different types of radiation treatment, the common side effects and common questions people have about radiation.
Specifically we discuss:
- What is radiation treatment?
High intensity X-rays that damage DNA of cancer cells and induce oxygen free radicals to preferentially kill cancer cells
- What is a gray? Fraction?
Gray- the dose that the body feels
Fraction- over how long you are getting the total amount
- What does a radiation treatment entail?
Initial Consultation with radiation oncologist goes over: intent of treatment, dosing and schedule
The second meeting: planning for radiation with specific scans to your body
Then the treatment occurs most commonly 5 days a week for 2-7 weeks for 20 minute sessions
- What are the most common questions people ask prior to starting?
Does it hurt? The actual radiation does not hurt but some of the side effects can
Am I radioactive? Most of the time you are NOT unless you have a radiation implanted
How to get through treatment better? Staying active reduces radiation fatigue
- What are the common side effects
Fatigue- most common and universal side effect
Other side effects are specific to the body part that is radiated
Brain- headaches
Head and neck- mouth soreness
Breast- skin irritation
Prostate- urinary symptoms
Lauren Boreta, MD
Dr. Lauren Boreta, M.D. is a radiation oncologist at UCSF. She has particular clinical interest in radiation for symptom management of advanced cancer and treatment of central nervous system malignancies. She has expertise in many different modern radiation therapy techniques including stereotactic radiotherapy, radiosurgery, and intensity-modulated radiation therapy. Dr. Boreta graduated from Stanford University and subsequently received her medical degree from UCSF. She completed an internship in internal medicine at Kaiser Permanente San Francisco, and in 2019 completed her residency in Radiation Oncology at UCSF. She serves as the leader of the Palliative Radiation program at UCSF, as well as Associate Director for Quality Assurance/Improvement and as an Assistant Residency Program Director.
