The Pediatric Population In Radiation Therapy 2020-2023
Date Issued | Volume | Issue | Start Page | End Page |
---|---|---|---|---|
2023-10-23 | 7 | 10 | 14 | 15 |
INTRODUCTION: “Radiation therapy, or radiotherapy, is a type of cancer treatment in which specialists kill cancerous cells in the body by exposing them to ionizing radiation, such as X-rays, gamma rays, high-energy electrons, or heavy particles. It is one of the most widely used cancer treatments, with around half of all patients requiring radiotherapy at some point during the course of the disease.”(1) In the radiation therapy department, we most often deal with adult patients, but patients under 18 years of age are increasingly encountered. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES This study presents four years of data collected on child patients treated in the radiation therapy department. Which gender dominates patients in the radiation therapy department was discussed. The age of children treated in different years was compared. The most common diseases of treated young patients who were treated with radiation therapy were also discussed. MATERIALS AND METHODSIn this study, all data were collected from the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Oncology and Hematology Clinics, Radiation Therapy Department databases. All data were processed in “Micrososft Excel” and presented in charts that were analyzed. RESULTS In the last 4 years, a total of 43 patients under the age of 18 were treated with radiation therapy. In the data, we see the distribution of patients by gender. For two years in a row (2020-2021), more male patients were treated than female patients. After the second two years (2022-2023) the data show the opposite result - more female patients were treated than male patients. In 2020 the youngest patient is 3 years old; the two oldest patients are 17 years old. Five patients aged 5, one patient each aged 8, 9, 14, two patients aged 15, and one patient aged 16. The most common diagnosis for which patients came to be treated with radiation therapy was: eight cases of headbrain tumors, two cases of spinal cord tumors; two cases of pelvis tumors; one case of lungs tumor; one case of spine tumor. In 2021 the youngest patient is 1 year old; the oldest patient is 17 years old. One patient was 4 and 8 years old, two patients 9 years old, the next two patients-13 years, and one 16 years old. The most common diagnosis for which patients came to be treated with radiation therapy was: six cases of headbrain tumors; one case of pelvis tumors; one case of the soft tissue of the head, face and neck; one case of kidney, except renal pelvis tumor. In 2022 the youngest patient is 1 year old; the two oldest patients are 15 years old. One patient at a time has 3,4,6,8,11 years old. In 2022 years the most common diagnosis for which patients came to be treated with radiation therapy was: six cases of head brain tumors and only one case of kidney tumor. In 2023 the youngest two patients are 1 year old; the two oldest patients are 17 years old. One patient was 2 years old; four patients were 4 years old, two patients were 5 years old, one- 8 years, and one – 12 years old. The most common diagnosis for which patients came to be treated with radiation therapy was: nine cases of head brain tumors; one case of the soft tissue of head, face, and neck tumor; one case of mediastinum; one case of retroperitoneum; one case of pelvis tumor. CONCLUSIONS Radiation therapy has a great influence on the successful treatment of oncological diseases in pediatrics. The most common diagnosis for which patients came to be treated with radiation therapy in all these years was head brain tumors and spine tumors.