Side Effects Of Radiation Therapy For Breast Cancer Long Term

Radiotherapy can have some long term side effects such as hair loss and skin changes.

Side effects of radiation therapy for breast cancer long term.

You won t lose the hair on your head. Many people who get radiation therapy experience fatigue. Long term side effects can include. Rare short term side effects nausea and hair loss.

Swelling in the breast. Long term side effects of radiotherapy. Just as there can be long term side effects of chemotherapy radiation therapy may result in side effects that may begin and linger far after treatment has been completed these can include heart problems lung problems thyroid problems secondary cancers and more but it s important. The breasts may shrink or become more dense after radiation some women.

Skin changes in the treated area similar to a sunburn redness skin peeling darkening of the skin fatigue. You may hear your doctor refer to it as breast fibrosis or glandular atrophy or radiation fibrosis syndrome rfs. However breast fibrosis can also be long term side effect of radiotherapy. Other side effects depend on the part of the body that is being treated.

Learn more about possible side effects. However you may lose some hair under your arm or on the breast or chest area getting radiation this may be a concern for some men with breast cancer. Long term side effects occur months or years after treatment has ended. Nausea is rare with radiation therapy to the breast.

In this case breast fibrosis is a direct result of radiation damaging your skin s elasticity. Radiation therapy has side effects because it not only kills or slows the growth of cancer cells it can also affect nearby healthy cells. Rare short or long term side effects. Concern over long term side effects of radiation therapy is becoming more common as survival rates improve.