Side Effects Of Chemotherapy And Radiation For Lung Cancer

Shortness of breath that usually gets worse with exercise.

Side effects of chemotherapy and radiation for lung cancer.

These side effects can happen months or years after treatment. Like emphysema which involves gradual damage of lung tissue. Radiation therapy uses high energy rays or particles to kill cancer cells. As the main treatment sometimes along with chemotherapy especially if the lung tumor can t be removed because of its size or location if a person isn t healthy enough for surgery or if a person.

Because radiation therapy is a localized treatment most side effects develop in the treatment area for lung cancer that is the chest. Depending on the stage of the non small cell lung cancer nsclc and other factors radiation therapy might be used. While chemo and radiation therapy used together can be a powerful weapon against lung cancer this combination can have strong side effects. As newer types of cancer treatment are developed such as immunotherapy doctors may find that these treatments also cause late effects in cancer survivors.

Chemo for sclc up to 15 of people with lung cancer. Possible side effects of chemo for nsclc. The goal is to destroy or damage the cancer without hurting too many healthy cells. Radiation therapy treats cancer by using high energy waves to kill tumor cells.

Many people who have had cancer treatment have a risk of developing long term side effects. And different treatments can cause different late effects. Your symptoms depend on the type and dose of drugs you get and the length of time you take them. If the initial chemo treatment for advanced lung cancer is no longer working the doctor may recommend second line treatment with a single chemo drug such as docetaxel or pemetrexed or with a targeted therapy or immunotherapy drug.

This side effect is more likely if you re also getting chemotherapy. Chemotherapy hormone therapy radiation surgery targeted therapy and immunotherapy. Recent research advances and new technology have facilitated highly precise radiation delivery techniques which can reduce the impact on surrounding healthy tissue and the likelihood of side effects. Other side effects depend on the part of the body that is being treated.

Learn more about possible side effects. Chemo attacks them too and that leads to certain side effects. Late effects of cancer treatment can come from any of the main types of cancer treatment. Specific side effects of radiation therapy that affect parts of the body.

Many people who get radiation therapy experience fatigue. Evaluating and treating late effects is an important part of cancer survivorship care types of late effectsnearly any cancer treatment can cause late effects. Radiation therapy has side effects because it not only kills or slows the growth of cancer cells it can also affect nearby healthy cells.