How Does Radiation Therapy Affect The Body

Radiation therapy for breast cancer uses powerful x-rays to kill or damage breast cancer cells. Breast surgeons/surgical oncologists (cancer specialists) often perform breast cancer surgery to remove tumors. Then, radiation oncologists monitor radiation therapy to eliminate any remaining cancer cells. People with metastatic breast cancer may receive this treatment to relieve breast cancer symptoms or symptoms in other areas of the body.

How Long Does Radiation Treatment Take?

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There are different ways to receive radiotherapy. Your radiation oncologist will choose the best method based on the location, type, and other factors of your cancer.

Your first appointment is a planning session and an opportunity for your radiation oncology team to explain processes and answer your questions. The team will:

Knowing what to expect can help you make plans and coordinate your personal activities, such as work and other commitments.

Tissues And Organs Highly Sensitive To Radiation [moe]

The planning session also involves a simulation. In simulations, your radiation oncology team uses a computed tomography (CT) scan to map the area of the breast that needs to be treated. The simulation can take an hour or more.

When you arrive for treatment, a staff member will greet you and give you a medical gown to wear during your treatment. Next, they will:

Unlike some forms of chemotherapy, most people do not lose their hair during radiation therapy, but they may lose armpit hair.

Radiation therapy is an effective way to target breast cancer tumors without damaging nearby tissue. Research shows that breast cancer is less likely to return (recur) in people with early-stage breast cancer who receive radiation therapy after surgery. According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology, less than 5% of people experience a return of breast cancer 10 years after surgery and radiation therapy.

Radiation And The Nervous System

Radiation treatment can make your skin very sore, itchy and painful. It can affect your appetite and make you feel very tired. Here are some suggestions to help you with treatment:

It depends on your situation. You will probably feel great when you start treatment and then notice that you have less energy and feel more tired as treatment continues.

Radiation therapy for breast cancer is a common and effective treatment for early and more advanced breast cancer. It may also help alleviate the symptoms of metastatic breast cancer. Studies show that this treatment prevents the recurrence of breast cancer. Treatment can cause short- and long-term side effects. If you have breast cancer, talk to your doctor about radiation therapy. They will be happy to explain the treatment and how it can fit into your plan to beat breast cancer. A common and effective treatment for breast cancer is radiation therapy. However, it has some side effects.

The right treatment for breast cancer depends on many factors, including the person’s age and general health. A doctor will help a person determine the best option for them.

Radiation Therapy For Breast Cancer: Types & Side Effects

Read on for more information about the rare, short-term side effects of radiation for breast cancer.

The benefits of radiation therapy for breast cancer outweigh the risks. However, side effects can be unpleasant.

Asking friends and family for help with daily activities during treatment can help a person deal with some common side effects, such as fatigue.

Using heating pads and ice packs can help a person manage pain after radiation therapy.

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It is crucial to report any side effects to a doctor or nurse, especially if a person experiences them for the first time.

Radiation therapy can be a very effective treatment for breast cancer. A person should expect some side effects, but most will be mild and will disappear over time.

It is important to report any side effects to the medical team to ensure that the person does not have symptoms of something more serious.

If side effects affect a person’s quality of life, they should talk to a doctor who can recommend ways to reduce discomfort.

How Is Radiation Therapy Used To Treat Breast Cancer?

Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and relies only on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We avoid using tertiary references. We link primary sources – including studies, scientific references, and statistics – within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy. Cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation, work by destroying cancer cells. In the process, they can also damage healthy cells, causing side effects. Although everyone’s experience is different, knowing the most common side effects of cancer treatment and how to manage them can be helpful.

Chemotherapy and radiotherapy fight cancer by destroying cancer cells. Although chemotherapy and radiation are designed to kill cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue, these treatments sometimes damage or destroy normal cells. Damage to normal cells can cause side effects.

The good news is that while damaged cancer cells die, normal cells can repair themselves. Most people receive chemotherapy and radiation spread over several sessions to give normal cells time to repair themselves. Allowing your body adequate recovery time can reduce side effects.

Meanwhile, knowing what side effects to expect and how to manage them can allow you to handle cancer treatments more effectively.

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Your experience with chemotherapy and radiation therapy will depend on your general health and the specific types of chemotherapy or radiation therapy you receive. Whether you receive a combination of treatments is also important.

You may experience some or none of the following side effects. Your oncologist – the cancer specialist responsible for your treatment – is your best resource for explaining what side effects to expect under your health and treatment plan.

Fatigue is the most common side effect of chemotherapy and radiation. During treatment, your body not only fights cancer, but also works to repair cellular damage caused by the treatment. As a result, you may feel too exhausted to carry out your usual activities. Fatigue may come on gradually, giving you time to adjust. It can start suddenly, requiring you to adapt quickly.

In particular, chemotherapy treatments can reduce the number of red blood cells and cause anemia. With anemia, you may experience extreme fatigue along with other symptoms such as shortness of breath and a fast heartbeat (palpitations). Contact your doctor immediately if you notice these symptoms.

May 11, 2021

Hair follicles are sensitive to radiation and chemotherapy. Although you may experience permanent hair loss, your hair usually grows back. It usually starts to grow again two to three months after chemotherapy and three to six months after radiation therapy. The texture and color of your hair may be different when it grows back.

Chemotherapy and radiotherapy can cause skin irritation, itching, dryness, redness and swelling. These treatments can also cause the skin to change color or darken. Radiation therapy can cause skin sores that you need to monitor for infections. These sores (and other skin changes) appear only on the parts of the body that receive radiation. Skin rashes, including hand-foot syndrome, are common during chemotherapy. Chemotherapy can also make you sensitive to sunlight, increasing your risk of sunburn.

Both chemotherapy and radiotherapy can cause diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. The type of medication you take, how it is administered, the dose, and how often you take it all affect whether you will experience these symptoms. Unless controlled, you can lose a lot of water (dehydration) or other necessary nutrients.

Nausea and vomiting related to chemotherapy are called chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). Chemotherapy can make you temporarily lactose intolerant. If you notice more diarrhea or loose stools with milk or dairy products, you can reduce or eliminate these foods or drinks until you have regular bowel movements.

Radiation Therapy: Medlineplus

You are more likely to experience nausea and vomiting with radiation therapy directed to the brain or stomach. You are more likely to have diarrhea and other gastrointestinal upset (gas, cramps, bloating) with radiation directed to the pelvis.

Side effects such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may make you less likely to eat. However, you may lose your appetite or have difficulty eating for other reasons.

It is common during cancer treatment to have problems thinking, concentrating or remembering. Typically, people have problems mainly with short-term memory. Regardless of your treatment, the stress of a cancer diagnosis can make it harder to think and concentrate. You may be able to go through your routine, but it may take longer than before.

Treatments can also affect brain function. Radiation therapy directed to your head can affect your ability to process information. Chemotherapy brain fog, or “chemo brain,” is common among people receiving chemotherapy treatments. In addition to dedicating more time to thinking, remembering and completing tasks, you can

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How Does Radiation Therapy Affect The Body