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Learn about the common and late effects of radiation therapy on different parts of the body, such as fatigue, skin problems, hair loss, and mouth problems. Find out how to manage and prevent these side effects and when to contact your cancer care team.
- Radiation Therapy Safety
During radioembolization, the radiation source stays near...
- Brachytherapy Radiation
The radiation usually doesn’t travel much farther than the...
- External Beam Radiation
This is because a large dose given one time can cause more...
- Systemic Radiation Therapy
Systemic radiation therapy uses radioactive drugs that...
- Photodynamic Therapy
It has no long-term side effects when used properly. It’s...
- Distress
Worksheet: Track Your Chemotherapy Side Effects. Worksheet:...
- Radiation Therapy Safety
Learn how radiation therapy can affect healthy cells and cause side effects such as fatigue, hair loss, skin changes, and more. Find out which side effects you might expect depending on the part of the body being treated and how to cope with them.
- Overview
- Why It's Done
- Risks
- How You Prepare
- What You Can Expect
- Results
- Clinical Trials
Radiation therapy, also called radiotherapy, is a type of cancer treatment. This treatment uses beams of intense energy to kill cancer cells. Radiation therapy most often uses X-rays. But other types of radiation therapy exist, including proton radiation. Modern methods of radiation are precise. They aim beams directly at the cancer while protectin...
Radiation therapy is used to treat just about every type of cancer. In fact, more than half of all people with cancer will receive radiation therapy as part of their treatment. Radiation therapy also may be used to treat some conditions that aren't cancerous. This includes tumors that aren't cancerous, called benign tumors.
You may or may not have side effects from radiation therapy. It depends on which part of your body is getting the radiation and how much is used. If you do have side effects, they can be controlled during treatment. After treatment, most side effects will go away. Sometimes side effects develop after treatment. These are called late side effects. V...
Before external beam radiation therapy, you will meet with a doctor who specializes in using radiation to treat cancer. This doctor is called a radiation oncologist. Together you can consider whether radiation therapy is right for you. If you decide to move forward, your care team will carefully plan your treatment. They'll find the exact spot on y...
External beam radiation therapy uses a machine that aims high-energy beams into your body. This is called a linear accelerator. As you lie still, the linear accelerator moves around you. It delivers radiation from several angles. The machine is adjusted just for you by your care team. That way, it delivers the precise dose of radiation to the exact...
After radiation therapy, you might have imaging tests to see if the cancer is shrinking. Sometimes the cancer responds to treatment right away. Other times it may take weeks or months to see the treatment working. Ask your radiation therapy team what you can expect.
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Oct 24, 2023 · Learn about the common side effects of radiation therapy, such as fatigue, skin problems, and hair loss, and how to cope with them. Find out how radiation therapy works, when to expect side effects, and how to protect your health during treatment.
Oct 13, 2022 · Side effects from radiation happen when radiation damages otherwise healthy cells. Common side effects of any type of radiation include fatigue, appetite changes, hair loss, and...
- The timing of side effects can vary a lot. Some will start within days or weeks of starting therapy. Others don’t happen until months or years afte...
- Many of the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation are similar. Both treatments work to kill cancer cells. Both also damage healthy cells in th...
- External beam radiotherapy targets the radiation at the tumor to kill cancer cells. There's no lingering radioactivity. You don’t need to worry abo...
- Yes. Both external beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy are safe for older adults. Radiation can be an important part of improving the quality of li...
Jan 8, 2019 · Radiation therapy uses high doses of radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors, but it can also damage healthy cells and cause side effects. Learn about the types, uses, and costs of radiation therapy, and how to cope with its effects.
In general, the side effects of radiation therapy will depend on: the type of radiation therapy. the part of your body being treated. the amount (dose) of radiation and treatment schedule. your overall health. General side effects of radiation therapy. Fatigue is one of the most common side effects of radiation therapy.
