Radiation, also known as radiation therapy, is a common treatment for many types of cancers and can be used in addition to other treatments. There are some side effects to radiation, mostly to the skin. Radiation therapy lasts for several weeks, depending on where the area is that needs treatment and the severity of the cancer.
How Radiation Works
Radiation therapy attacks cancer cells to stop them from dividing and spreading in the body. According to OncoLink, radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays to damage DNA of the dividing cells so they can no longer reproduce or spread in the body.
Used to Treat
Drugs.com says radiation therapy is used to treat cancers such as breast cancer, head and neck cancers, cancers in the arms, legs, chest and bones, and cancers in the pelvic and abdomen areas.
How It Is Given
External radiation is given over a period of time, usually five days a week for several weeks. The American Cancer Society says that radiation is given from a radiation machine. A radiation team will identify the best place on the body to aim the radiation beams from the machine in order to penetrate the affected areas. They will mark these spots using radiation marks (temporary tattoos). Receiving radiation therapy is a little like getting an x-ray; the machine is aimed at you and it takes only a few minutes to radiate the area during each treatment.
Side Effects
There are a few side effects to radiation therapy. The biggest side effect is to the skin where the radiation is given, ranging from dry skin to blistered, cracked and peeling skin. Skin can become discolored and turn tan, brown and pink. Other side effects include fatigue; this can be a constant fatigue, or a sudden onset seemingly coming from nowhere. Swelling is also a common side effect to the radiated area.
Care for Side Effects
According to the American Cancer Society, the skin should be treated with care during and after radiation therapy. This means gently washing the treated areas, avoiding wearing tight fitting clothes, not allowing any sun exposure and asking your doctor before you use deodorants, lotions or powders that could irritate the skin. For fatigue, it is recommended that you get plenty of rest and eat a healthy balanced diet or a special diet prescribed by your doctor. For swelling, check with your doctor as it is not recommended to apply heat or ice to the treated areas. An anti-inflammatory may be used for extreme swelling.
Additional Considerations
It is important to speak to your doctor or radiation team about any and all of your concerns as they will be able to answer your questions and help you ease your discomfort.
Radiation therapy is often given in conjunction with other cancer treatments, so while you may have some side effects from radiation, you may also be experiencing side effects from other treatments, such as chemotherapy. Make sure your radiation team is aware of all of your other treatments so that they can help you.
Tags: your doctor, other treatments, radiation given, radiation team, side effects, American Cancer