Procedure
Radiation therapy focuses high-energy X-rays on the tumor inside the body to specifically kill it. Radiotherapy can also be used in special situations as an alternative to surgery if surgery is not possible. It can also be used when tumors have already spread: radiotherapy can then prevent or alleviate symptoms caused by metastases, e.g. in the brain or bones(palliative radiotherapy).
Radiation therapy is performed as an outpatient treatment, is non-invasive (i.e. does not require anesthesia) and can thus be easily integrated into everyday private and professional life. Depending on the extent of the tumor, radiotherapy can be carried out as radiosurgery in one or a few treatment sessions for small tumor foci, or as fractionated treatment over several weeks for larger tumors. Depending on the stage of the disease, radiotherapy can be combined with chemotherapy or immunotherapy to improve its effectiveness. Close and personal support is a matter of course for us.
The Department of Radiation Oncology at the USZ uses only the most modern techniques for precise radiation treatment of lung cancer with few side effects. They are supervised by internationally recognized experts in the research and treatment of lung cancer.
General information on radiotherapy for mediastinal tumors
Tumors of the mediastinum are generally rare tumors and require an interdisciplinary and multi-professional approach for optimal treatment. The focus of tumor-specific therapy is on surgery, radiotherapy and drug therapy (chemotherapy).
We therefore work closely with our colleagues in surgery and medical oncology in order to guarantee treatment “from a single source”.
Due to the often large tumor size of mediastinal tumors in the vicinity of the esophagus, vessels and nerves, the radiation is divided into many small “portions”: the therapy is fractionated over about 30 treatment sessions every working day over a period of about six weeks. Spreading the radiation treatment over several weeks improves the tolerability of the treatment, which is mainly carried out on an outpatient basis and can be easily integrated into the patient’s private and professional life.
If curative treatment is no longer possible and the focus is on alleviating symptoms caused by local tumor growth, radiation can be successfully applied in a few sessions (typically one to five times) either from the outside or from the inside (so-called brachytherapy).
In the following, we will describe the role of radiotherapy in the different types of mediastinal tumors.
Malignant tumors of the windpipe (trachea)
Tracheal cancer is a very rare tumor. Therefore, the experience is based on smaller case series and not on large studies. However, due to the type of tumor, principles for the treatment of lung cancer can be adopted.
Depending on the extent of the tumor, surgery alone, post-operative radiotherapy or even additional chemotherapy may be necessary (trimodal therapy). In the case of very extensive tumors that cannot be resected completely, radiotherapy is a sensible alternative to surgery as the sole local therapy. This is then usually combined with chemotherapy.
Thymoma
Tumors of the thymus can occur as thymomas or thymic carcinomas. For both types of tumor, the local extent of the tumor and the presence of lymph node or distant metastases are relevant for the choice of treatment. In early stages, complete resection is considered sufficient treatment alone. Depending on the preoperative extent of the tumor or in the case of incomplete resection, additional postoperative radiotherapy or even additional chemotherapy may be necessary (trimodal therapy). In the case of very extensive tumors that cannot be completely resected, radiotherapy is a sensible alternative to surgery as the sole local therapy.
