Total Skin Irradiation
Total Skin Irradiation (TSI) is an external beam radiotherapy (EBRT). It is also referred to as TSEI or TSEB. This treatment therapy uses electrons directed at the entire surface of the body. The radiation goes into the outer layers of the skin, but does not go deeper into tissues and organs below the skin. It is often used to treat cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. If detected early, it can result in the disappearance of any signs or symptoms of the disease. TSI has the benefit of reaching cancer cells within scar tissue or other areas of the body that chemotherapy cannot reach, such as the skin surface. The dose of radiation must be low enough that the body's healthy cells can recover from the treatment. Total skin irradiation can be used in the treatment of a wide variety of cancers, such as skin lymphomas. After an initial consultation, patients proceed to simulation, the process of creating a specific road map to treat the cancer. A custom device may be designed to help the patient remain still during treatment. Computed cosmography is performed to characterize the cancer's shape, size, and position, so the specialists can generate treatment parameters and a specific treatment plan.
As part of a leading academic medical center, UAB Radiology oversees or participates in clinical trials that may provide new opportunities for low-dose drugs, more effective tests, and other new techniques and treatments that are not available elsewhere in the area. The extensive experience and expertise of our radiologists and technologists help ensure that the most accurate and in-depth testing is used in evaluating and treating your condition. We use the latest interventional devices and most advanced imaging techniques, including fluoroscopy, ultrasound, sonogram, and CT (computed tomography) scans. We perform an average of 7,600 CT scans and 3,600 sonograms each month, all while making your comfort and convenience our top priority. Our efficient, attentive staff and the availability of multiple imaging units will help your radiology visit go smoothly.
As a large teaching hospital, UAB Medicine is on the forefront of imaging equipment, and we frequently play a role in improving traditional and emerging imaging technologies, including some designed to reduce radiation exposure during tests. One example is the GE Healthcare CT 750 HD CT scanner, which is used at the UAB Radiology clinic to obtain high-definition images while reducing patients’ radiation exposure.
VIDEOS
Proton International at UAB
Proton International from UAB Health System on Vimeo.
Proton International at UAB is Alabama’s first and only proton therapy center. Rather than traditional radiation, the center uses protons to reduce the dose to the healthy surrounding tissue and nearby organs, which leads to fewer side effects, better long-term outcomes, and improved quality of life in many patients.
CLINICAL TRIALS
UAB is an active participant in research and clinical trials for Total Skin Irradiation. We encourage you to speak to your physician about research and clinical trial options and browse the link below for more information on clinical trials at clinicaltrials.gov.
View Clinical TrialsMore from UAB
Around the Web
National Institutes of Health
nih.gov
- Your Radiation Therapy Visit
- Supportive Care and Survivorship Clinic
Your Radiation Therapy Visit
The patient's visit begins with a consultation with a physician specialist from our team of experts who will determine if the patient's condition is suitable for radiation treatment and therapy. During the consultation, the specialist will explain in detail the therapeutic procedure and answer any questions for the patient.
Once the consultation is complete, the patient proceeds to simulation, which is the process of creating a specific road map to treat the patient's cancer. If necessary, a custom immobilization device will be designed to ensure that the patient remains still during treatment and that the radiation beam hits the precise target in the body. During the simulation, a computed tomography (CT) is performed to identify the exact size, shape, and position of the cancer target in the body. From this information, a team of specialists generates treatment delivery parameters to treat the cancer.
Next, the team of physicians, physicists, dosimetrists, and therapists develop a patient specific treatment plan that will guide the radiation delivery devices to treat the precise cancer target in the body. Each of step leads to the development of the optimal treatment plan to remove the patient's cancer.
Supportive Care and Survivorship Clinic
The Supportive Care and Survivorship Clinic takes an interdisciplinary approach to caring for patients with serious illnesses, whether they are in active treatment or have completed treatment. Our goal is to help patients fulfill their maximum physical, emotional, spiritual, vocational, and social potential.
The health professionals at the Supportive Care and Survivorship Clinic help patients manage the side effects associated with cancer. Referrals to the Supportive Care and Survivorship Clinic can be made by any treating physician or nurse or by patient self-referral. A broad range of insurance is accepted.
Patient appointment scheduling is flexible and based on patient needs and other concurrent treatments. Clinic sessions are held Wednesday and Friday mornings with palliative care physicians and fellows. A physician assistant is available Monday through Friday.
Our Team
Physicians and physician assistants have special expertise in complex symptom management including depression, anxiety, insomnia, fatigue, loss of appetite, pain syndromes, and others.
Nurses support patients by facilitating the clinic sessions as well as managing communication with patients. They are the front line of patient care.
Physical therapists develop individualized programs for each patient to help with coordination, balance, strength, endurance, flexibility, or range of motion. Counselors are experienced in structuring counseling sessions to meet the specific needs of each person. Individual, couple, and family sessions are available.
Nutritionists have expertise in nutrition for patients with serious illnesses.
Massage therapists are trained in all types of massage, including oncology massage, which is a specialized approach that supports the body's health before, during, and after treatment for cancer.
Our clinic is an active teaching environment with fellows, residents, and students in both medicine and nursing participating in patient care.
Location
The UAB Supportive Care and Survivorship Clinic is located on the 3rd floor of The Kirklin Clinic of UAB Hospital.
Patients can request an appointment online or by calling UAB Healthfinder at 205.934.9999 or 800.822.8816.
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UPCOMING CLASSES AND EVENTS
- Spirituality Group
Come explore your own spiritual, religious, or philosophical understanding of the world. For more information contact Chaplain Kelsey Blankenship - 205.801.7050 or kmblankenship@uabmc.edu
UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center - WTI 220 (Patient Education Center)