Radiation is most often given to just one part of the body, so the whole immune system isn't damaged by it. Still, depending on the dose and the part of the body being treated with radiation, the skin or mucous membranes may be damaged, so you're less able to keep germs out.
After chemo and radiation, your immune system can stay suppressed for several months. While newer research has been illuminating, much remains to be learned about the specific immune-system effects of cancer treatments.
Having radiotherapy requires you to come into hospital every day which could increase your risk of catching and/or spreading Covid-19.
Radiation not only kills or slows the growth of cancer cells, it can also affect nearby healthy cells. Damage to healthy cells can cause side effects. Many people who get radiation therapy have fatigue. Fatigue is feeling exhausted and worn out.
Long term effects on tissue
Doctors call this radiation fibrosis. How this affects you will vary depending on which part of your body was treated. Fibrosis may cause any of the following: your bladder could become less stretchy and hold less urine after treatment to your abdomen, so you need to pass urine more often.
The most common early side effects are fatigue (feeling tired) and skin changes. Other early side effects usually are related to the area being treated, such as hair loss and mouth problems when radiation treatment is given to this area.
Is it safe to receive the vaccine during radiation therapy or immunotherapy, after surgery, or while I am taking oral medication for cancer? Yes.
For many patients undergoing radiation therapy, their immune systems will not be affected by radiation therapy. This is because radiation is focused on specific targets in the body and can be designed to avoid the bone marrow which is where cells that make up the immune system are produced.
Depending on your condition, radiation therapy in combination with COVID-19 illness can be harmful. Will take special precautions to protect the health of other patients undergoing treatment and the staff who administer treatment.
Does Radiation Oncology Have Fewer Side Effects Compared to Chemotherapy? Radiation oncology and chemotherapy are both effective cancer treatments; however, they are different in many ways. Radiation oncology is localized: it targets only the affected area of the body, and therefore, tends to have fewer side effects.
Radiation therapy can potentially affect your immune system, especially if a significant amount of bone marrow is being irradiated because of its role in creating white blood cells. However, this doesn't typically suppress the immune system enough to make you more susceptible to infections.
You may feel better when your cancer treatments stop, but often fatigue lingers. Bone marrow transplants can cause prolonged fatigue that lasts up to a year. Radiation therapy fatigue often gets worse as treatments progress. Fatigue should lessen a few months after you stop treatment.
Although radiation therapy effectively treats many types of cancer, it may also increase your likelihood of developing a different cancer in the future. For many people, the benefits of radiation therapy are worth the risk.
Radiation sickness usually goes away a few weeks after radiation therapy is finished. Low blood cell counts happen because of radiation's effect on blood cells made in the bone marrow.
Fatigue usually builds up slowly during the course of treatment, particularly towards the end, and may last for some weeks or months after treatment finishes. Many people find that they cannot do as much as they normally would, but others are able to continue their usual activities.
Women who have had breast radiation may not be able to breastfeed from the radiated breast. Radiation to the breast can sometimes damage some of the nerves to the arm. This is called brachial plexopathy and can lead to numbness, pain, and weakness in the shoulder, arm, and hand.
Long-term side effects
Over time, your breast may feel firmer or it may become smaller or larger. You may also have mild tanning of the skin where the breast was treated, or red discoloration, especially around the surgical scar(s). These changes may be permanent.
So that our current understanding is that, except for very unusual situations, we would not give a radiation to a previously treated area, because of the concern about a much higher rate of complication. So, the answer is: no, we would, in most circumstances, not re-treat a previously treated area.
People who should not have the Pfizer vaccine
anaphylaxis after exposure to any component of the vaccine, including polyethylene glycol (PEG) myocarditis and/or pericarditis attributed to a previous dose of the vaccine. any other serious adverse event attributed to a previous dose of an mRNA(Pfizer or Moderna) vaccine.
Permanent brachytherapy
The radiation doesn't travel very far from the treatment area. So it is usually safe to be with other people. However, as a precaution you will need to avoid very close contact with children and pregnant women for a time. Your treatment team will give you specific advice about this.
Radiation resistance is a serious issue in radiotherapy. Increasing evidence indicates that the human gut microbiome plays a role in the development of radiation resistance. Vitamin D is an important supplement for cancer patients treated with radiotherapy.
Avoid raw vegetables and fruits, and other hard, dry foods such as chips or pretzels. It's also best to avoid salty, spicy or acidic foods if you are experiencing these symptoms. Your care team can recommend nutrient-based oral care solutions if you are experiencing mucositis or mouth sores caused by cancer treatment.