External beam radiotherapy is the most common type of radiation therapy for the treatment of cancer. During this procedure, the patient sits or lies down to expose the area that requires treatment, and an external source of radiation is directed at the treatment area.
Over the course of a series of treatments, mesothelioma tumors are bombarded with radiation to kill cancer cells and limit the growth and spread of these cells. However, in most cases involving mesothelioma, radiation therapy is not able to completely eradicate all tumor cells. As such, this type of therapy is usually given to provide the patient with some relief from pain and other symptoms associated with mesothelioma, such as shortness of breath and coughing.
Due to the nature of the treatment, it is common for healthy tissue near the treatment area to be affected by radiation. This damage causes side effects such as skin irritation, pain near the treatment site, digestive problems, and difficulty swallowing.
External beam radiotherapy is rarely effective as a stand-alone treatment for mesothelioma and is most often used in conjunction with chemotherapy or surgery.
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