Side Effects From Radiation For Breast Cancer

Just as the benefits of radiation are gradual you ll usually see a gradual onset of side effects.

Side effects from radiation for breast cancer. It can metastasize spread from the breasts to other areas of the body such as the bones and liver. Many people who get radiation therapy experience fatigue. Radiation therapy has side effects because it not only kills or slows the growth of cancer cells it can also affect nearby healthy cells. Rapidly growing cells such as cancer cells are more susceptible to the effects of radiation therapy than are normal cells.

Learn more about possible side effects. Not everyone experiences side effects of radiation. Here are some long term side effects to be aware of. Breast swelling from fluid build up lymphedema.

Nausea is rare with radiation therapy to the breast. Adobe stock belish breast fibrosis. If you have a higher dose of radiation your chances of getting side effects are more likely but if you get too low of a dose of radiation it won t be as effective against the cancer and could leave cancer cells alive. The goal is to destroy or damage the cancer without hurting too many healthy cells.

Several weeks after treatment ends the side effects typically go away. Radiation to the breast can cause. If you have radiation to the breast it can affect your heart or lungs as well causing other side effects. Most women don t notice different side effects from boost radiation than from whole breast radiation.

Rare short term side effects nausea and hair loss. But by being ready for these reactions and responding quickly you and your doctor can minimize their effect on your life. 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. Radiation can be an effective treatment for breast cancer but it does have side effects.

Skin irritation dryness and color changes. Doctors may recommend this therapy in combination with others such as surgery and chemotherapy. Breast cancer refers to cancer that begins in the cells within the breasts. Rare short or long term side effects.

You won t lose the hair on your head. In some cases the area treated might also include the nodes above the collarbone supraclavicular lymph nodes and the. Other side effects depend on the part of the body that is being treated. Radiation therapy treats cancer by using high energy waves to kill tumor cells.