Radiation therapy during pregnancy: What you need to know

This is an automatically translated article.

Articles consulted by: MSc. Doan Trung Hiep, Head of Radiation Therapy Department, Radiation Therapy Center, Vinmec Times City International Hospital
Radiation therapy uses high-energy particles or waves to kill and destroy cancer cells. For safe and effective radiation therapy, patients, especially pregnant women, need to follow the procedure as well as fully understand the side effects that radiation therapy can cause during and after treatment.

1. Is it possible to have radiation therapy while pregnant?

Detecting cancer during pregnancy is something no patient wants, because radiation therapy during pregnancy can more or less adversely affect the normal development of the fetus.
For patients diagnosed with cancer during pregnancy whose tumors are located far from the pelvis can be treated with radiation therapy after discussing with the radiation therapist. Doctors will discuss with the patient and family about a specific treatment regimen: Radiation therapy can be carried out, pregnancy termination or treatment is delayed, alternative treatment methods are used...
In fact, there are many cases where patients find cancer during pregnancy and ask the question "Can radiation therapy be given during pregnancy?". To answer this question, many important factors must be considered, especially as suggested by the International Commission on Radiation Protection (ICRP), specifically:
Invasive site and stage stage of tumor growth Potential hormonal effects of pregnancy on tumours Treatment methods, duration and effectiveness, complications of radiation therapy. Impact of delayed treatment, expected effects of maternal health on the fetus Gestational stage, fetal assessment and monitoring; How and when a baby can be safely delivered Whether to terminate a pregnancy, legal, ethical and ethical issues.

2. How to reduce the amount of radiation to the fetus during radiation therapy during pregnancy?

Patients receiving radiation therapy during pregnancy can reduce the amount of radiation affecting the fetus by following expert recommendations. The first is to try to delay radiation therapy as much as possible when the fetus is at a later gestational age. If radiation therapy is required during pregnancy, it is important to calculate how much radiation will affect the fetus before treatment is given.

The American Association of Medical Physicists (AAPM) has made recommendations that should be considered including:
Patients should still complete radiation therapy plans. If the fetus is near the therapeutic beam, do not take the portal localization film with open contrast and the blocks removed. Conduct a review, evaluation and modification of the treatment plan to reduce the radiation dose to the fetus. If possible, use photon energies below 25 MV; Using phantom measurements to estimate fetal dosage, a shield can be crafted with 4-5 layers of half-value lead. Document your pregnancy radiotherapy treatment plan and discuss it with staff involved in setting up the patient. Check the weight and load-carrying specifications of the pregnancy radiotherapy chair or other aspects of the shielding support. Monitor the size and growth of the fetus during treatment and re-evaluate the effect of radiation on the fetus if necessary. After completion of treatment, record the total amount of radiation affecting the fetus including the range of radiation to the fetus during therapy. Consideration should be given to transferring the patient to another facility if equipment and personnel are not available to reduce the effect of radiation on the fetus.

3. Does radiation therapy for cancer affect having children later?

Not only for patients who are diagnosed with cancer during pregnancy, but also for patients who have been fortunate to win cancer, having a baby is a difficult decision for both women and men. Consult a specialist doctor.
Pregnancy after cancer treatment is considered safe for both mother and fetus. However, it is necessary to let health recover and should only have children after a few years of treatment.
Many patients fear that when they have cancer, their children will also have cancer. However, research has shown that a child born to a mother/father with cancer does not have a higher risk of developing the disease than children born to a healthy parent. Even so, some cancers can be passed on from parent to child through genes. If a patient has one of these inherited cancers, the baby may also be at increased risk.
Currently, in order to help patients overcome diseases and face cancer gently, Vinmec Times City International Hospital and Central Park International Hospital apply the current method of radiation therapy. modern, with many high techniques, specialized doctors with extensive experience and expertise:
Dr. Doctor Nguyen Duy Sinh has 20 years of experience in teaching, training and clinical practice in Oncology. Dr., Doctor Nguyen Duy Sinh is an expert in the field of radiation therapy and oncology molecular biology and is currently the Head of the Radiation Therapy Unit, Oncology Center of Vinmec Central Park International Hospital
MSc. Doctor Doan Trung Hiep has over 10 years of experience in Internal Medicine oncology, especially in the field of radiation and chemotherapy, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Doctor Hiep is the first person to perform VMAT radiotherapy (circular volume modulated radiotherapy), SBRT-body positioning radiosurgery, brain metastasis radiosurgery using accelerator-SRS in Vietnam, and is also the first person in Vietnam. successfully performed a hematopoietic stem cell transplant to treat multiple myeloma at Vinmec and non-public hospitals.
Modern equipment can be mentioned such as: Clinac iX accelerator (Varian, USA), Otima 580 simulation CT scanner system (GE - USA), Eclipse radiation therapy planning system v13.0 (Varian - USA), CIVCO's ProLock immobilizer...and especially, master most radiotherapy techniques from basic to advanced techniques in the world such as 4D - Synchronizing breathing, VMAT, SBRT.... brings successful treatment results to hundreds of cancer patients, minimizing side effects caused by radiation therapy.

To learn more about Cancer Radiation Therapy at Vinmec Times City and Vinmec Central Park, please contact the hospitals and clinics of Vinmec Health system nationwide

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