Glioblastoma Radiation Therapy Side Effects

Different cells and tissues in the body tolerate radiation differently. Most side effects are temporary disappearing bit by bit after therapy is complete.

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For more on this see coping with radiation treatment but radiation therapy can have other specific side effects depending on what area is being treated.

Glioblastoma radiation therapy side effects. Radiation therapy may be advised for tumors that are sensitive to this treatment. Radiation therapy treats cancer by using high energy waves to kill tumor cells. Radiation therapy damages cancer cells.

Healthy cells in the treatment area can also be damaged even though steps are taken to protect normal tissue as much as possible. Radiotherapy to the brain can cause short term side effects such as tiredness and sickness. The goal is to destroy or damage the cancer without hurting too many healthy cells.

Most radiation oncologists see their patients at least once a week while the patient is receiving treatment. These side effects usually improve a few weeks after treatment. If youre worried about the side effects of radiation therapy youre not alone.

You may have been told that radiation therapy is your best treatment option for a metastatic brain tumor also referred to as metastatic brain cancer. Some side effects of radiation therapy like fatigue and skin problems can happen no matter what part of the body is being treated. Im aware that this type of tumor spreads and grows very fast however the side effects of the two treatments has brought up a great deal of nervousness.

The major side effect of radiation for brain tumors is damage to normal brain tissues which can lead to mild moderate or severe brain damage. This treatment can cause side. These treatments include brachytherapy intensity modulated radiation therapy imrt and radiosurgery.

Side effects of radiotherapy. In the past two decades researchers have developed new techniques of delivering radiation that target the brain tumor while protecting nearby healthy tissues. After doing quite a bit of research im second guessing whether it is worth going through radiation and chemo.

You may also have long term side effects which can continue for a lot longer and sometimes might be permanent. The next suggested path is radiation and chemo for 6 weeks. Newer radiation therapy techniques can limit these effects but may not always eliminate them.

To learn more go to management and treatment of side effects. Side effects are caused by damage to healthy cells. It can be used as a primary treatment if a surgeon believes that removing a tumor would be too risky or after an operation to destroy any remaining cancerous cells that were not visible to or accessible by the surgeon.

This visit with the healthcare team is an opportunity to ask questions talk about any side effects and to make a plan to manage side effects. For brain tumors such as glioblastoma radiation therapy is the most commonly prescribed treatment. Johns hopkins neurosurgeon michael lim md of the johns.

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