Brain Radiation Treatment Side Effects

Different cells and tissues in the body tolerate radiation differently. This handout gives a general description of side effects one may experience when receiving radiation therapy to the brain.

Radiotherapy Treatment Brain And Spinal Cord Tumours Cancer
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Talk with your radiation oncologist and health care team about what you can expect.

Brain radiation treatment side effects. Radiation therapy treats cancer by using high energy waves to kill tumor cells. See external beam radiation therapy most side effects go away within a few months of ending treatment. Radiation therapy has side effects because it not only kills or slows the growth of cancer cells it can also affect nearby healthy cells.

Many people who get radiation therapy experience fatigue. You may also have long term side effects which can continue for a lot longer and sometimes might be permanent. Side effects of radiotherapy.

In the meantime there are ways to reduce the discomfort they may cause. Below are the most common side effects of radiation therapy to the brain. Learn more about possible side effects.

Remember that the treatment can affect each patient differently and you may not experience these particular side effects. The goal is to destroy or damage the cancer without hurting too many healthy cells. This treatment can cause side.

These side effects usually improve a few weeks after treatment. Some people may develop side effects from radiation therapy. It is important to remember that the type and severity of the side effect will vary greatly from patient to patient depending on the location.

Other side effects depend on the part of the body that is being treated. Some side effects may continue after treatment ends because it takes time for the healthy cells to recover from radiation. Side effects may be worse if you are also getting chemotherapy.

Acute short term side effects. Which side effects and how severe they are depend on many factors such as the dose of radiation the number of treatments and your overall health. Radiotherapy to the brain can cause short term side effects such as tiredness and sickness.

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. Radiation therapy damages cancer cells. Some side effects of radiation therapy like fatigue and skin problems can happen no matter what part of the body is being treated.

Side effects are caused by damage to healthy cells. The following list includes some of the most common side effects of radiation therapy for brain tumors. Side effects of radiation therapy to the brain radiation therapy to the brain.

Healthy cells in the treatment area can also be damaged even though steps are taken to protect normal tissue as much as possible. Another treatment under investigational use for brain cancer treatment is intraoperative radiation therapy iort. For example local chemotherapy also known as bcnu targets chemotherapy to the brain tumor and resection area helping reduce side effects related to systemic chemotherapy such as nausea and vomiting.

Radiation Therapy Faqs What Is Radiotherapy Frequently Asked
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