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Total Body
Irradiation
Purpose of TBI
Total body irradiation is part of a complex treatment
program for aplastic anemia, leukemia’s, lymphomas and certain other
cancers that includes chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation (BMT).
TBI helps to destroy cancer cells within the body and to create space
within the bone marrow for the grafted marrow. For bone marrow transplants
to a person (the "recipient") from another person (a
"donor"), TBI also helps to produce immunosuppression that is
necessary to keep the recipient’s immune system from rejecting the bone
marrow transplant.
TBI has been used at hospitals throughout the world in
thousands of patients since the 1950’s, especially in the treatment of
leukemia, and is an important part of treatment for these life-threatening
diseases. There has been much study of the biological and technical
aspects of TBI in order to increase the safety and effectiveness of TBI,
but it remains a treatment with risks and side effects that we wish to
explain to you.
Process of TBI
If your Hematologist or Medical Oncologist has
recommended treatment with Total Body Irradiation as part of the
preparative regimen, a consultation with a Radiation Oncologist will be required
for evaluation to ensure that Total Body Irradiation is not contraindicated in
your treatment and to discuss details of the treatment with
you. In preparation for TBI, you would have a brief visit in the Radiation
Therapy Department where a device is fabricated to assure that your upper
body position is the same during each treatment. Several measurements are
made to determine your body thickness and one or two X-rays films may be
taken of your lung area for calculation of radiation dose to be
administered and to aid in production of custom lung compensators which are
sometimes used to reduce the risk of interstitial pneumonitis.
On a subsequent day, the actual treatments would begin.
TBI is usually given in two treatments per day about six hours apart
during each of three consecutive days for a total of six treatments. Each
treatment would require a visit of about 30 to 60 minutes in a Radiation
Therapy Department. Prior to each treatment, you would be given
medications to prevent nausea and vomiting. The six treatments complete
the TBI process. There are significant side effects from total body
irradiation that your Radiation Oncologist will discuss with you.
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