Managing Side Effects of Radiation Therapy Treatments

Patients often experience very little to no side effects from the radiation therapy and they are able to continue their normal daily routines. However, some patients can feel some discomfort from the radiation treatments. Please be sure to talk to a member of your radiation oncology treatment team about any problems you may be having.

The majority of the side effects of radiation therapy are related to the area that is currently being treated. As an example, a breast cancer patient may notice skin irritation, similiar to a mild or moderate sunburn, while a patient with an oral cancer or the mouth or jaw, may have soreness when swallowing. These side effects are usually temporary and can be treated by your radiation oncologist or another qualified member of our staff. .

Side effects usually begin around the second or third week of treatment, and they may last for several weeks after the final radiation treatment. In extream rare instances, serious side effects develop after radiation therapy is finished. Your radiation oncologist and radiation oncology nurse are the best people to advise you about the side effects you may experience. Talk with them about any side effects you are having. They can give you information about how to manage them and may prescribe medicines that can help relieve your symptoms.

The side effect that is most often reported by our patients that are receiving radiation treatments is that of fatigue. The fatigue patients experience is generally not very severe, and patients can often continue all or at least a majority of their normal daily activities with a reduced schedule. Many patients are still able to continue to work full time during their radiation therapy treatments.

Many patients are concerned that radiation therapy will help create another cancer. In fact, the risk of developing a second tumor because of radiation therapy is very low. For most patients, radiation therapy treatments have a high cure rate. This benefit far outweighs the very small risk that the treatment could cause a later cancer. If you smoke, the most important thing you can do to reduce your risk of a second cancer is quit smoking.

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