Just as the benefits of radiation are gradual you ll usually see a gradual onset of side effects.
Side effects to radiation treatment for breast cancer.
Not everyone experiences side effects of radiation.
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.
Fatigue is feeling exhausted and worn out.
Radiation not only kills or slows the growth of cancer cells it can also affect nearby healthy cells.
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.
Mild to moderate fatigue.
The main short term side effects of external beam radiation therapy to the breast are.
You won t lose the hair on your head.
Damage to healthy cells can cause side effects.
There are two kinds of radiation side effects.
Early side effects happen during or shortly after treatment.
The most common early side effects are fatigue feeling tired and skin changes.
Radiation can be an effective treatment for breast cancer but it does have side effects.
Early side effects such as nausea and fatigue usually don t last long.
However breast fibrosis can also be long term side effect of radiotherapy.
Doctors may recommend this therapy in combination with others such as surgery and chemotherapy.
Common side effects during treatment may include.
Treatments can cause a variety of side effects from nausea and hot flashes to hair loss and joint pain.
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.
Many people who get radiation therapy have fatigue.
Early and late effects of radiation therapy.
These side effects tend to be short term mild and treatable.
Swelling in the breast skin changes in the treated area similar to a sunburn redness skin peeling darkening of the skin.
They re usually gone within a few weeks after treatment ends.
They may start during or right after treatment and last for.
Rare short or long term side effects.
Breast cancer treatments include surgery chemotherapy radiation hormonal therapies and more.
Learn more about breast cancer treatments and how to manage their side effects.
