Radiation carrieres: preventive approach from radiations during chemotherapy

Radiation therapy is used as a single modality in the curative treatment of early stage head and neck cancer or as a part of multimodality therapy in the curative treatment of locally advanced head and neck cancers. Adverse tissue reactions associated with the use of radiotherapy in the management of patients with head and neck cancer are painful and they diminish the quality of life, often discouraging the patient from taking treatment. RADIATION CARRIER works as a boon for these patients. It is an ancillary prosthesis used to administer radiations to the confirmed areas by the means of capsules, beads or needles of radiation emitting materials such as radium, iridium or cesium. Its function is to hold the radiation source securely in the same location during the entire period of treatment. Fabricating customized radiation carriers for inaccessible areas, such as the nasopharyngeal space, requires the patient to be under conscious sedation or general anaesthesia to allow impressions for indirect processing techniques. This article highlights on newer advancements and various types of radiation carriers.