Read article Radiotherapy for acute myeloid leukaemia
This page tells you about radiotherapy for acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). You can find information about
Radiotherapy for acute myeloid leukaemia
Radiotherapy uses high energy rays to treat cancer. You may have radiotherapy as part of a bone marrow transplant for AML. You have radiotherapy to your whole body. This is called whole body irradiation (WBI) or total body irradiation (TBI). The radiotherapy kills off all your bone marrow, including the leukaemia cells. You then have donor marrow (or your own marrow back) through your drip. You may have TBI twice a day for 3 or 4 days, or as a single treatment.
Doctors also sometimes use radiotherapy to treat AML that has spread to the central nervous system. It is not common for AML to spread in this way. If it does, doctors use chemotherapy more often than radiotherapy to treat it.
AML radiotherapy side effects
The side effects of radiotherapy depend on the part of the body being treated. Both TBI and treatment to the brain and spine most often cause sickness and tiredness. They can also cause hair loss. But you will have already lost your hair from your chemotherapy.
TBI can have long term effects. You should not sunbathe for several months after treatment. Talk to your specialist about the exact precautions you should take. There is a risk of the lens of your eye clouding over (cataract) many years later. This can be treated with simple surgery.
You can view and print the quick guides for all the pages in the Treating AML section.
Radiotherapy uses high energy rays to treat cancer. The radiotherapy section tells you more about this type of treatment, including
On this page you can read about
You may have radiotherapy as part of a bone marrow transplant. You have radiotherapy to your whole body. This is called whole body irradiation (WBI) or total body irradiation (TBI). The radiotherapy kills off all your bone marrow, including the leukaemia cells. You may have TBI twice a day for 3 or 4 days, or as a single treatment. You then have donor marrow (or your own marrow) back through your drip.
Doctors sometimes use radiotherapy to treat AML that has spread to the central nervous system (CNS). The CNS includes the brain and spinal cord. It is not common for AML to spread in this way. If it does, doctors use chemotherapy more often than radiotherapy to treat it.
The side effects of radiotherapy depend on the part of the body being treated. Both TBI and treatment to the brain and spine most often cause sickness and tiredness. It also causes hair loss. But you will have already lost your hair from your chemotherapy.
TBI can have long term effects. You should not sunbathe for several months after treatment. Talk to your specialist about the exact precautions you should take.
You may develop eyesight problems many years after the treatment. The lens inside your eye can cloud over so that you can’t see very well. This is called a cataract. To try to prevent it, your doctor will shield your eyes during the total body irradiation. If you do get cataracts, they can be treated with simple surgery. Doctors take out the clouded lens and put a false one in its place.
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