Side Effects Of Radiation Therapy For Breast Cancer

The main types of radiation therapy that can be used to treat breast cancer are external beam radiation therapy ebrt and brachytherapy.

Side effects of radiation therapy for breast cancer.

The most common cancers linked to radiation therapy are sarcomas cancers of the connective tissue. Depending on the dose and type you may notice these during treatment. Radiation can be an effective treatment for breast cancer but it does have side effects. This is the most common type of radiation therapy for women with breast cancer.

Rapidly growing cells such as cancer cells are more susceptible to the effects of radiation therapy than are normal cells. Early side effects happen during or shortly after treatment. Radiation therapy and risk of a second cancer. Many patients are surprised to discover that having radiation therapy is less difficult than they expected though the radiation used to damage cancer in your body can also damage healthy cells.

Radiation therapy for breast cancer uses high energy x rays protons or other particles to kill cancer cells. Other side effects depend on the part of the body that is being treated. Learn more about possible side effects. The x rays or particles are painless and invisible.

For women who are long term smokers radiation therapy may also increase the risk of lung cancer. Early and late effects of radiation therapy. Many people who get radiation therapy experience fatigue. These side effects tend to be short term mild and treatable.

Radiation therapy has side effects because it not only kills or slows the growth of cancer cells it can also affect nearby healthy cells. The most common early side effects are fatigue feeling tired and skin changes. Not everyone experiences side effects of radiation. Doctors may recommend this therapy in combination with others such as surgery and chemotherapy.

Red swollen warm sensitive skin it might feel like you have a sunburn. They re usually gone within a few weeks after treatment ends. Continued side effects of external beam radiation.