Side Effects Of Radiation Treatment For Tongue Cancer

Learn more about possible side effects.

Side effects of radiation treatment for tongue cancer.

Complications are new medical problems that occur during or after a disease procedure or treatment and that make recovery harder. Radiation of the mouth and throat area can cause several short term side effects including. Side effects of radiation therapy. Other early side effects usually are related to the area being treated such as hair loss and mouth problems when radiation treatment is given to this area.

Possible side effects of radiation therapy. Radiation therapy treats cancer by using high energy waves to kill tumor cells. Msk s radiation oncologists work hard to minimize the side effects of treatment. Radiation therapy can irritate the mucous membranes lining the mouth throat and upper part of the esophagus.

The complications may be side effects of the disease or treatment or they may have other causes. Side effects a lot of patients do not experience nausea or vomiting unless the stomach is really consisted of in the treated area in this case there are medications readily available to decrease discomfort and loss of scalp hair does not happen unless the patient s head is being dealt with. Radiation therapy for tongue cancer. Learn more about clinical trials for mouth cancer.

But they usually begin to improve a few weeks following your treatment. They gradually get worse during the treatment. Oral complications affect the mouth. While cancer cells are particularly sensitive to radiation and are irreparably damaged by it normal tissue cells have the ability to repair themselves after being exposed to radiation.

Side effects of radiation therapy to the head and neck may include. Skin changes like a sunburn or suntan in the treated area that slowly fades away. Redness and soreness or even pain in the mouth and throat. Loss of sense of taste.

Many people who get radiation therapy experience fatigue. Side effects tend to start a few days after the radiotherapy begins. It may take up to 6 weeks before the mouth or throat soreness. Radiation therapy has side effects because it not only kills or slows the growth of cancer cells it can also affect nearby healthy cells.

Oral complications are common in cancer patients especially those with head and neck cancer. They can continue to get worse after your treatment ends. Other side effects depend on the part of the body that is being treated. For mouth cancer our researchers are studying immunotherapy targeted therapies and other approaches to boost the effectiveness of your radiation therapy.

The goal is to destroy or damage the cancer without hurting too many healthy cells. Side effects of radiation to the head and neck. Late side effects can take months or even years to develop. It can also affect other structures in the treatment area.