What does radiosensitization mean in medical terms?

What does radiosensitization mean in medical terms?

Listen to pronunciation. (RAY-dee-oh-SEN-sih-tih-ZAY-shun) The use of a drug that makes tumor cells more sensitive to radiation therapy.

What are 3 treatments used to fight cancer?

Cancer treatment options include:

  • Surgery. The goal of surgery is to remove the cancer or as much of the cancer as possible.
  • Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells.
  • Radiation therapy.
  • Bone marrow transplant.
  • Immunotherapy.
  • Hormone therapy.
  • Targeted drug therapy.
  • Cryoablation.

What is a radiosensitizer used for?

Any substance that makes tumor cells easier to kill with radiation therapy. Some radiosensitizers are being studied in the treatment of cancer. Also called radiosensitizing agent.

How does chemotherapy work as a radiosensitizer?

6.4 Chemo-radiotherapy Radiation therapy uses various external energy sources such as X-rays and protons to shrink tumors by disrupting their DNA. Some radiosensitizers are directly toxic by themselves, while others show toxicity only on exposure to radiation.

Is carboplatin a radiosensitizer?

Like cisplatin, carboplatin is an effective radiosensitizer in a variety of in vitro and in vivo systems, targeting the hypoxic cell population as well as potentiating cell kill after irradiation [32, 33].

Is Methotrexate a radiosensitizer?

Etiology and Biocharacteristics. Radiation sensitizers include primarily traditional chemotherapy agents (i.e., gemcitabine, interferon-α, 13-cis-retinoic acid, doxorubicin, docetaxel, carboplatin, cisplatin, dactinomycin, methotrexate, 5-FU, bleomycin, and hydroxyurea).

Is radiation better than chemo?

The radiation beams change the DNA makeup of the tumor, causing it to shrink or die. This type of cancer treatment has fewer side effects than chemotherapy since it only targets one area of the body.

Is cisplatin a radiosensitizer?

Examples of radiosensitizers currently in use are cisplatin and gemcitabine, although many molecularly targeted agents are currently under investigation as potential radiosensitizers. Radioprotectors are agents that protect cells (organs, organisms) from the damaging effects of ionizing radiation.

Is oxygen a radiosensitizer?

Oxygen is a potent radiosensitizer, increasing the effectiveness of a given dose of radiation by forming DNA-damaging free radicals. Tumor cells in a hypoxic environment may be as much as 2 to 3 times more resistant to radiation damage than those in a normal oxygen environment.

How do radio-sensitizers improve cancer therapy and tumor control?

Multi-disciplinary studies have demonstrated the potential of NPs-based radio-sensitizers to improve cancer therapy and tumor control at cellular and molecular levels. However, studies have shown that the dose enhancement effect of the NPs depends on the beam energy, NPs type, NPs size, NPs concentration, cell lines, and NPs delivery system.

What is the mechanism of radiosensitization?

The mechanism of chemotherapeutic radiosensitization is thought to be multifactorial and may be due to the inhibition of repair of radiation-induced damage or to changes in tumor cell prosurvival signaling pathways, induction of programmed cell death, and/or changes in cellular metabolism.

How can we improve the efficiency of radiofrequency radiation therapy?

As a result, attempts are being made to improve the efficiency of RT mainly by: (I) enhancing the radiation dose inside the cancer cells; (II) sensitizing the tumors that are radio-resistant; (III) applying targeted RT.9,10Radio-sensitizers are materials that increase sensitivity of the tumor tissue to radiation.11

What is enhanced radiosensitization of human glioma cells?

Enhanced radiosensitization of human glioma cells by combining inhibition of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase with inhibition of heat shock protein 90. Mol Cancer Ther. (2009) 8:2243–54. doi: 10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-09-0201 133.