Is it safe or not? A survey of Kyiv residents about radiation methods for diagnostics and treatment of oncological diseases
4 February is the World Cancer Day. It was established by the Union for International Cancer Control.
According to the World Health Organization, cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide. Almost 10 million people died from cancer in 2020. Cancer affects approximately 400,000 children each year.
It is possible to reduce mortality and cure cancer by timely diagnosing and applying up-to-date treatment methods. The most common treatment is radiation therapy.
In order to draw attention to the issue of cancer incidence and raise awareness among the public, in February 2023 the Uatom.org editors conducted a survey for Kyiv residents regarding their knowledge of radiation methods for diagnostics and treatment of oncological diseases. Each survey participant received booklets with a reminder for the patient about radiation in medicine.
Oksana
Oksana
aged 32, teacher
What methods of cancer treatment do you know?
— radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and surgery.
What is radiation therapy?
— I don’t know. Thank God, I have not encountered with oncological diseases.
Do you think radiation is safe for patients?
— When we are talking about the life and health of patients, it is necessary to choose what brings more benefit than harm. It is clear that doctors should deal with this, as well as select a course of treatment individually.
Is it true that hair falls out during radiation therapy?
— I think yes.
After a course of radiation therapy, will the patient become a source of radiation?
— I think no.
Volodymyr
aged 39, photographer
What methods of cancer treatment do you know?
— Probably radiation therapy. Fortunately, I am not very familiar with this topic, because there were no oncological diseases in my family.
What is radiation therapy?
— In medical institutions, there is relevant equipment that is directed to the area of the body with cells affected by cancer. This procedure is performed as many times as necessary for successful treatment. When radiotherapy fails, surgery is prescribed.
Do you think radiation is safe for patients?
— At least the person is going bald. The same thing happened to the liquidators of the Chornobyl accident, they lost hair all over their bodies, not only on their heads.
Is it true that hair falls out during radiation therapy?
— Yes.
After a course of radiation therapy, will the patient become a source of radiation?
— No.
Yelyzaveta
aged 22, teacher
What methods of cancer treatment do you know?
— I don’t know at all.
What is radiation therapy?
— I think it’s something like MRI.
Do you think radiation is safe for patients?
— In general, any exposure is dangerous. However, “you don’t want, but you should”!
Is it true that hair falls out during radiation therapy?
— Most likely, it falls out.
After a course of radiation therapy, will the patient become a source of radiation?
— No.
Larysa
aged 58, musician
What methods of cancer treatment do you know?
— Radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and surgery.
What is radiation therapy?
— I’m afraid I can’t adequately answer this question.
Do you think radiation is safe for patients?
— It’s hardly safe.
Is it true that hair falls out during radiation therapy?
— Yes.
After a course of radiation therapy, will the patient become a source of radiation?
— No.
Vasyl
aged 49, engineer
What methods of cancer treatment do you know?
— Chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
What is radiation therapy?
— First of all, various studies are carried out. Then, cells damaged by cancer are exposed using special medical equipment.
Do you think radiation is safe for patients?
— I think yes.
Is it true that hair falls out during radiation therapy?
— I won’t say that. I don’t know.
After a course of radiation therapy, will the patient become a source of radiation?
— No.
Tetiana
aged 36, civil servant
What methods of cancer treatment do you know?
— chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery.
What is radiation therapy?
— For example, if a person has liver cancer, then the liver should be exposed using special equipment. All this is exclusively by doctor’s prescription.
Do you think radiation is safe for patients?
— I think radiation is not safe.
Is it true that hair falls out during radiation therapy?
— Yes.
After a course of radiation therapy, will the patient become a source of radiation?
— Yes. After a course of radiation therapy, a person will remain a radiation source for a day and will be dangerous to others.
Illia
aged 47, law enforcement officer
What methods of cancer treatment do you know?
— First of all, folk methods. (Laughs — ed.) Next: surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy.
What is radiation therapy?
— Radiation therapy is when cells affected by cancer are exposed using up-to-date medical equipment. Nevertheless, very often patients are prescribed combined treatment: a combination of radiation therapy and chemotherapy, for example.
Do you think radiation is safe for patients?
— Safe. However, to a certain extent. Therefore, the course of therapy should be prescribed by a doctor.
Is it true that hair falls out during radiation therapy?
— Yes.
After a course of radiation therapy, will the patient become a source of radiation?
— Of course not.
Oksana
aged 52, architect
What methods of cancer treatment do you know?
— Radiation therapy and surgical methods.
What is radiation therapy?
— A person in a hospital is placed in a special chamber, where he/she is exposed. As many sessions as needed for treatment are prescribed. In each particular case, their number is different.
Do you think radiation is safe for patients?
— I think exposure is dangerous. However, if there is no other option, this is a necessity.
Is it true that hair falls out during radiation therapy?
— No. Hair falls out during chemotherapy.
After a course of radiation therapy, will the patient become a source of radiation?
— No.
Andrii
aged 20, student
What methods of cancer treatment do you know?
— I know the classical method — chemotherapy.
What is radiation therapy?
— This is the first time I hear about radiotherapy.
Do you think radiation is safe for patients?
— I don’t know.
Is it true that hair falls out during radiation therapy?
— I know hair falls out during chemotherapy.
After a course of radiation therapy, will the patient become a source of radiation?
— Hardly.
Tetiana
aged 64, pensioner
What methods of cancer treatment do you know?
— Surgical intervention.
What is radiation therapy?
— Honestly, I do not know.
Do you think radiation is safe for patients?
— It is difficult to say.
Is it true that hair falls out during radiation therapy?
— I don’t know.
After a course of radiation therapy, will the patient become a source of radiation?
— I think no.
Thus, radiation therapy is considered a safe method used to treat the disease at almost all stages, either alone or in combination with other methods (surgery and chemotherapy).
Treatment using radiation therapy consists in the impact of a controlled radiation dose purposefully on cancer cells in order to destroy their nuclear DNA, prevent reproduction and start the mechanism of self-destruction. So that a precisely defined dose of radiation impacts precisely the tissue affected by cancer during a precisely measured time and damages the surrounding healthy tissues as little as possible.
If we are talking about remote radiation therapy (the dose is delivered to the patient using a radiation source placed in the machine), then the patient will not be radioactive during a course of radiation therapy. If patients undergo systemic radiation therapy, they will be isolated in a medical institution for 5-14 days, since during this time they become a radiation source.
It is important to note that hair does not fall out during radiation therapy. Chemotherapy has this effect.
