Radiosensitivity measures a patient’s response to radiation therapy. Highly radiosensitive organs include testicles, ovaries, and intestines. New techniques allow radiation to be delivered more precisely, limiting potential damage to a smaller area. Dosage and frequency of treatments can be adjusted to obtain the best results.
Radiosensitivity is a term used to describe the degree of response a patient has to the use of radiation therapy to address a certain ailment, such as cancer. While the degree of radiosensitivity is often focused on the response rate to treatments that use radiation, the term is also used to refer to how surrounding organs and tissues respond to those treatments. Measuring the degree of radiation sensitivity allows physicians to determine the most productive level of radiation to use to effectively treat disease while creating a minimum of disturbance to surrounding tissue.
Over the years, medical research has helped healthcare professionals understand some of the factors that influence the best use of ionizing radiation in the treatment of cancerous growths. One has to do with the cell division rate inherent in the surrounding tissue. Essentially, cells that are actively dividing or are not yet fully mature show the highest degree of sensitivity to radiation treatments. Knowing this has been especially important when using radiation as part of cancer treatment, as it makes it easier to measure the reaction of surrounding tissues and organs.
Some organs and tissue types show a relatively low rate of radiosensitivity. These include the spinal cord, mature bones, liver and thyroid gland. Others tend to show a moderate amount of sensitivity to radiation, with immature stomachs and bones being two examples. The skin and all other organs that contain epithelial cell linings tend to be more sensitive to radiation; this includes organs such as the rectum, bladder and cornea.
Highly radiosensitive organs include the testicles, ovaries and intestines. Lymphoid organs and bone marrow also show a high amount of radiosensitivity. Depending on the location of the tumor, medical professionals will try to determine the best dosage per treatment session that has the greatest impact on the tumor itself, while inflicting the least possible damage on organs in the immediate area. This process has improved over the years, as new techniques have allowed radiation to be delivered more precisely, thus limiting the range of potential damage to a smaller area.
In many cases, the process of irradiating the tumor during cancer treatment causes very little damage to nearby organs and tissues. Often the damage is temporary and the individual will experience complete regeneration of healthy tissue as healthy cells continue to divide and mature. During the radiotherapy process, healthcare professionals are always attentive to the rate of radiosensitivity exhibited by the patient, allowing both the dosage and the frequency of treatments to be adjusted in order to obtain the best results.
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