Whole Breast Radiation Therapy Side Effects

Rapidly growing cells such as cancer cells are more susceptible to the effects of radiation therapy than are normal cells. Many people who get radiation therapy experience fatigue.

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A gray is the way radiation oncologists measure the dose of radiation therapy.

Whole breast radiation therapy side effects. The x rays or particles are painless and invisible. Most often side effects from radiation therapy begin within a few weeks of starting treatment and go away. The death of healthy cells can lead to side effects.

These side effects depend on the dose of radiation and how often you have the therapy. The boost is often given after the treatments to the whole breast have ended. Whole breast radiation therapy after breast cancer surgery is usually given as one treatment per day 5 days a week for 5 to 7 weeks.

Learn more about support groups. External whole breast radiation sometimes called external beam whole breast radiation is the most common type of radiation. Radiation therapy has side effects because it not only kills or slows the growth of cancer cells it can also affect nearby healthy cells.

The death of healthy cells can lead to side effects. This treatment can cause side. In this technique a large machine called a linear accelerator aims a beam of high energy radiation at the breast affected by the cancer.

Radiation can be an effective treatment for breast cancer but it does have side effects. Other side effects depend on the part of the body that is being treated. Doctors may recommend this therapy in combination with others such as surgery and chemotherapy.

Late side effects can happen months or years later. Most women dont notice different side effects from boost radiation than from whole breast radiation. The goal is to destroy or damage the cancer without hurting too many healthy cells.

Your provider may be able to suggest a hospital social worker patient navigator psychologist or support group to help ease anxiety related to radiation therapy or breast cancer. Side effects can develop early during treatment within a few weeks and be short lived or they may be more lasting long term side effects. If youre on a 5 week treatment schedule 50 gray is the usual amount given during the 5 weeks 2 gray at each treatment.

Late side effects can happen months or years later. Radiation therapy treats cancer by using high energy waves to kill tumor cells. It uses the same machine with lower amounts of radiation aimed at the tumor bed.

Learn more about possible side effects. Radiation therapy for breast cancer uses high energy x rays protons or other particles to kill cancer cells. Side effects can develop early during treatment within a few weeks and be short lived or they may be more lasting long term side effects.

These side effects depend on the dose of radiation and how often you have the therapy.

Lower Radiotherapy Dose Is Good As Targeted Breast Cancer
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