The length of a radiation therapy course and the number of sessions required varies considerably depending on the type of cancer being treated, the stage of the disease, the intent of treatment (curative or palliative), and the specific radiation technique being used. At SPARSH Hospital, Hennur Road, Bengaluru, I design each treatment schedule individually as part of the multidisciplinary plan, but I can give you a general picture of what different cancer types typically involve. For early breast cancer treated with adjuvant radiation after breast-conserving surgery, the modern accelerated protocol that I now use for appropriate patients delivers the entire course in just five treatment sessions, typically given once daily on five consecutive working days. This is a significant change from the older four to six week protocols and reflects the evidence base from large randomised trials showing equivalent outcomes in appropriately selected patients. For cervical cancer treated with curative intent, external beam radiation is delivered over five to six weeks of daily fractions from Monday to Friday, followed by a brachytherapy component consisting of several sessions given over one to two weeks. Radiosurgery using SRS or SBRT, which delivers very high doses to small, precisely defined targets, is completed in one to five sessions over one to two weeks. Palliative radiation for bone metastases causing pain is typically given as a short course of one to ten sessions. Whatever the specific schedule, I explain the full treatment plan including total number of sessions, daily session duration, and the expected timing of side effects at the planning consultation before treatment begins, so that patients can arrange their work and personal commitments around the treatment schedule without uncertainty.
Written by Dr. P Sasikala, MBBS, DMRT, DNB (Radiation Oncology), Best Paper Award (Indian Brachytherapy Society, 2016), Karnataka Leadership Award, Consultant Radiation Oncologist, SPARSH Hospital, Hennur Road, HBR Layout, Bengaluru 560043. Monday to Saturday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Phone: +91 80958 09322.
