Radiation Therapy or Radiotherapy is a treatment that uses radiation to destroy cancer cells. Radiation in low doses is used for x-rays to take pictures of the inside of your body. In high doses, radiation can kill cancer cells, shrink them and stop them from spreading.
Radiation treatments can affect healthy cells as well as the cancerous ones. Reddening of the skin in your breast area and changes in the texture of your breast are quite common. Radiation could affect drainage in your lymph nodes causing your arm to swell. You may have trouble moving your shoulder.
After you receive several treatments, you can feel tired, sore, weak and nauseous. Watch for depression, pain that doesn't go away, swelling, rashes, numbness, bruises, bleeding, weight loss, chest pain, fever, vomiting, constipation, cough, change in appetite, dizziness and diarrhea. Your doctor can prescribe medication that takes care of side effects, so you need to make your problems known.
According to the US Dept. Of Health and Human Services, 20 years of research show that women who have a lumpectomy followed by radiation treatment live as long as women who have their whole breast removed. Radiation treatment isn't painful while you are getting it, and the side effects can be managed.
Radiation therapy doesn't shrink and kill your cancer cells immediately. You can have weeks of treatment before they start to die, and cancer cells can keep dying for months after radiation treatments are over. Some of the side effects can remain for awhile also.
I hope you found this information helpful.
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