There are many parts and components that must be considered when servicing and repairing linear accelerators and other types of radiation therapy equipment. Consider the inner workings of LINAC systems and the process they go through to deliver targeted radiation and you will see why professional servicing and maintenance is required.
External radiotherapy is done with the use of specialized radiation therapy equipment. This equipment is designed to aim beams of radiation at the source of cancer. The most common types of radiation being through the use of high energy x-ray beams. Other types can include particle beams, such as protons and electrons. These beams are used to obliterate the cancerous cells within the are being treated while preventing radiation damage to healthy cells.
Radiotherapy works by harming the DNA within the cancerous cells. The DNA is the genetic code which controls the behavior of the cells. Radiotherapy damages DNA directly on contact or creates charged up particles to damage the DNA. This treatment should stop the growth or kill the cancer. When cells die your body will break them down and get rid of waste substance. Normal cells could be damaged but usually repair themselves.
Before treatment can begin your doctor will want to go over the short- and long-term side effects. Most will be temporary and can be regulated with medication. The team that treats you will use a combination of images including x-rays, CT scans, MRI scans, or PET scans. They will be used to monitor the size of the tumor and measure the shrinkage that is occurring.
Radiotherapy machines, like linear accelerators, are very large and can look extremely intimidating. A LINAC uses electricity in creating radiotherapy beams. The machine will never touch you and the radiation will not be felt. Some discomfort can be expected from the side effects of treatment but can be controlled using medication. For radiotherapy to work the radiation must cover the entire cancerous area and the surrounding border. Physicians will give the lowest dosage possible to prevent damage to the health tissue surrounding the cancer. This will reduce the risks of side effects to the healthy tissue.
The dose of radiation you are prescribed will be divide up into small doses known as fractions. Instead of one large dose, these smaller doses allow the same amount of radiation overtime which helps to alleviate the side effects and allows the healthy tissues time between treatments to heal. Radiation can be given as palliative care which is given to alleviate the pain associated with cancer or as a treatment to cure the cancer.
Radparts is the world’s largest independent distributor of OEM replacement parts for Linear Accelerators and Radiation Oncology equipment. Radparts provides high quality, user friendly, low cost parts support for linear accelerators and radiation equipment. More information can be found at https://www.radparts.com/.