External Radiation Therapy Side Effects Thyroid Cancer

Side effects often get worse as treatment goes on. Radiation therapy has side effects because it not only kills or slows the growth of cancer cells it can also affect nearby healthy cells.

Thyroid Cancer Cancer Council Nsw
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Radioactive iodine therapy cannot be used to treat anaplastic undifferentiated and medullary thyroid carcinomas because these types of cancer do not take up iodine.

External radiation therapy side effects thyroid cancer. Side effects of external radiation therapy. All dogs that undergo full course radiation therapy for thyroid tumors will develop acute side effects in rapidly dividing tissues including the skin of the ventral cervical region and the. Talk with your healthcare provider about what you might feel like during and after radiation therapy.

External beam radiation therapy comes from a machine that aims radiation at your cancerit is a local treatment which means it treats a specific part of your bodyfor example if you have cancer in your lung you will have radiation only to your chest not to your whole body. To reduce the risk of side effects doctors carefully figure out the exact dose needed and aim the beam as accurately as they can to hit the target. It is most often used when surgery cant be done or radioactive iodine therapy wont work because the thyroid cancer cells do not absorb iodine.

It helps to learn more about the side effects of treatments before you begin so you will know what to expect. Radiation therapy damages cancer cells. Side effects are caused by damage to healthy cells.

External beam radiation therapy. Side effects depend on the dose. Different cells and tissues in the body tolerate radiation differently.

Trouble swallowing dry mouth hoarseness and fatigue are also potential side effects of external beam radiation therapy aimed at or near the thyroid. Many people develop side effects during radiation therapy. Your treatment team can help you prevent or manage any side effects.

Treatment side effects of thyroid cancer. Learn more about possible side effects. Most of these will disappear within a few weeks or months.

Healthy cells in the treatment area can also be damaged even though steps are taken to protect normal tissue as much as possible. Many people who get radiation therapy experience fatigue. Acute side effects of radiation therapy develop during or shortly after treatment and are generally reversible.

But remember these side effects can be treated. Radiation therapy affects normal cells as well as cancer cells. Radiation to the neck may cause a dry sore mouth and throat hoarseness difficulty swallowing and.

Acute side effects of radiation therapy. Common side effects include feeling tired difficulty swallowing sore throat dry mouth and red dry itchy sore or ulcerated skin. Preparing for rai therapy for rai therapy to be most effective you must have a high level of thyroid stimulating hormone tsh or thyrotropin in the blood.

During external beam radiation therapy a machine directs radiation through the skin to the tumour and some of the tissue around it. Other side effects depend on the part of the body that is being treated.

Radiation Therapy For Cancer Uses Types And Side Effects
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