Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
5th International Health Sciences and Innovation Congress, Antalya, Türkiye, 18 - 21 Aralık 2021, ss.202-205
Following technological and scientific advances, radiotherapy plays a key role in the treatment of a wide variety of diseases. Radiotherapy is a treatment modality in the management of some benign conditions as well as malign diseases. Benign diseases can reduce the quality of life by causing many symptoms and dysfunctions. Radiotherapy can be used as a successful treatment modality for some of the benign diseases by mainly alleviating the symptoms. The mechanism of radiotherapy in the treatment of benign diseases is various. For example, in the hyperproliferative diseases such as keloid scars, Peyronie's disease and desmoid tumors; radiotherapy suppresses fibroblast differentiation and proliferation. It acts by causing damage on the endothelium and stimulating endothelial sclerosis when it used for symptomatic treatment of hemangiomas and arteriovenous malformations. Another purpose of radiotherapy is to suppress inflammation in Graves’ ophthalmopathy. The anti-inflammatory effect of ionizing radiation used in the treatment of heel spurs to relieve degenerative pain caused by chronic inflammation. In the treatment of diseases such as heterotopic ossification, aneurysmal bone cysts and Dupuytren’s contracture, radiotherapy acts with similar mechanisms and provides treatment success. From January 2019 to November 2021, 38 patients were treated for benign diseases in Akdeniz University Radiation Oncology Department. Of all these patients 17 received radiotherapy for vertebral hemangioma, while Graves' ophthalmopathy was the second most common indication for radiotherapy. A total of 15 patients received radiotherapy to the retroorbital region due to thyroid eye disease and finally 5 patients treated for heel spurs. Only one patient received post-operative radiotherapy for heterotopic ossification. Although there are many treatment methods available for benign diseases, radiotherapy is quite important for resistant cases. Being aware of the effectiveness of radiotherapy is the key for the correct management of these painful and undesirable conditions.