External beam radiation therapy can also cause side effects later on: Some women may find that radiation therapy causes the breast to become smaller and the skin to become firmer or swollen.
In time radiotherapy can cause the breast tissue to change shape or shrink in size a little. This can happen to your natural breast tissue or a reconstructed breast. After radiotherapy, the breast might feel hard and less stretchy. This is due to a side effect called radiation fibrosis.
You may have aches, twinges or sharp pains in the breast or chest area. These are usually mild. They may continue for months or years, but they usually become milder and less frequent over time. You may also have stiffness and discomfort around the shoulder and breast or chest area during and after treatment.
Radiation therapy is recommended for most people who have lumpectomy to remove breast cancer. Lumpectomy is sometimes called breast-conserving surgery. The goal of radiation after lumpectomy is to destroy any individual cancer cells that may have been left in the breast after the tumor was removed.
Radiation therapy is painless. You may feel some discomfort from lying in the required position, but this is generally short-lived. After the session, you're free to go about your regular activities. Take any self-care steps at home that your doctor or nurse recommends, such as taking care of your skin.
Radiation: May cause pain, burning, swelling, and skin discoloration (typically red) at the site of radiation (often the breast). There may even be blistering or peeling of the skin. In rare cases, the radiation may burn a bit of the lung and cause it to swell (pneumonitis).
Most women with breast cancer in stages I, II, or III are treated with surgery, often followed by radiation therapy. Many women also get some kind of systemic drug therapy (medicine that travels to almost all areas of the body). In general, the more the breast cancer has spread, the more treatment you will likely need.
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.
While it's more common for people to gain weight during and after treatment, some people lose weight. Gaining or losing a few pounds is normal, but a considerable weight change — say 5% to 10% of your total body weight — could have an effect on your health.
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.
More than 60% of NPC patients receiving curative-intent radiotherapy suffered from a weight loss greater than 5% during the treatment [8], [9].
Fatigue. Fatigue is common during radiation therapy and may last for several weeks after treatment ends. Fatigue is mainly a short-term problem, but for some, it can persist [11-12].
To avoid skin-on-skin contact:
Try to keep your arm away from your body whenever possible. Wear a supportive bra without an underwire to keep your breasts separated and lifted. If you have large breasts, when you're not wearing a bra, place a soft washcloth or piece of flannel or soft cotton under your breast.
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.
Nerve Damage
It tends to develop in the years following treatment and slowly worsens over time. Symptoms can include pain, loss of strength, decreased feeling (sensation), loss of coordination, or loss of movement or function of the muscle. The area affected will depend on the area that was in the radiation field.
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.
Don't wear tight clothing over the treatment area. It's important not to rub, scrub or scratch any sensitive spots. Also avoid putting anything that is very hot or very cold—such as heating pads or ice packs—on your treated skin.
It is a good idea to wear clothing that is easy to pull down, adjust, or remove when coming for treatments. During the actual treatment sessions you will be in the treatment room between 10-30 minutes. You will be receiving radiation for 1-2 minutes of that time.
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.
Very rarely, radiotherapy to the breast area can affect the lungs.
Radiation can damage the DNA in our cells. High doses of radiation can cause Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS) or Cutaneous Radiation Injuries (CRI). High doses of radiation could also lead to cancer later in life.
The standard schedule for getting whole breast radiation is 5 days a week (Monday through Friday) for about 6 to 7 weeks.
You usually have radiotherapy for 3 weeks. Women who had breast-conserving surgery may have an extra dose (booster dose) to the area where the cancer was. Sometimes the booster dose is given at the same time as radiotherapy to the rest of the breast. Or it may be given at the end of the 3 weeks.
If you are considered in complete remission for more than five years, some doctors may say that you are cured. But that does not mean there may still be undetected cancer cells that may cause a recurrence years later.