Nuclear Radiation Vs Medical Radiation | SERO

Exactly how radiation therapy affects your body will depend on the treated area and radiation doses. While some patients experience very mild side effects of radiation therapy like fatigue, others will struggle with more severe symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and difficulty swallowing.

Because of this, your doctor will develop a cancer treatment plan to help you address all potential symptoms and maintain a semblance of normalcy during treatment. Your cancer care team will also monitor you closely during and after treatment, offering solutions to ease your discomfort.

Radiation therapy will make me sick.

Radiation therapy can make some patients feel unwell. But this isn’t always the case.

Though most people experience fatigue, whether or not you experience other side effects depends on the location of the radiation treatment.

Patients with breast cancer, for example, may experience coughing and shortness of breath because the radiation is being directed to their chest. Comparatively, patients with prostate cancer may experience bladder irritation and intimacy issues like erectile dysfunction.

Radiation will make me lose my hair.

If you are receiving radiation to the head, neck, or brain, temporary or permanent hair loss is possible. However, not all patients lose their hair. In certain cases, your cancer care team can also use techniques to spare hair follicles from radiation exposure.

Radiation will burn me.

Radiation therapy has the potential to cause skin irritation that resembles a burn. This irritation can range from mild redness to peeling and blistering.

Though uncomfortable, skin problems typically resolve once treatment ends. Your doctor can also prescribe salves to relieve your symptoms.