Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SABR) is an external beam treatment modality that delivers high precision large doses of radiation. In simple words, it is a way of giving Radiotherapy to precisely target cancer cells. It is a standard type of care in the treatment of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer. The aim of SABR is to stop the cancer cells from growing and shrink the tumor or completely destroy it.
In the process of SABR, many small and focused beams of radiation are directed from different angles that meet at the tumor. This implies that tumor gets high dose of radiation and lower the damage risk to normal cells. This treatment concentrates on using intense doses of radiation on a specific tumor site without causing any harm to the surrounding healthy tissues. The effectiveness and convenience offered by this method is responsible for growing interest in exploring SABR as treatment for patients with NSCLC.
SABR is used to treat the cancer that has started in the lung which is small in size. It is also recommended in cases where cancer has spread to another part of body such as lymph nodes, lung etc. This treatment method is suitable for the patient depending on the location of cancer, the size of cancer and whether it has spread to other parts of body or not. Usually, SABR is give in three, five or eight treatments on alternate days but number depends on the position of tumor and other factors.
The therapy is given by radiographers where minimum two attend each session. They work together to position you accurately so that during treatment, the machine moves around you and not actually touch you. Each session takes about thirty to forty-five minutes. Although SABR does not come with any serious health effects but some common side effects include fatigue, chest pain, shortness of breath etc.
The information shared in this blog is for educational purposes only.
Subscribe to our newsletter or follow us on Facebook or Twitter today and never miss out an update!