The urgency of the situation pain loss of function size and location of the metastasis for example any previous radiation you may have had.
Side effects of radiation treatment for metastatic breast cancer.
It can happen all at once or come on slowly.
Side effects tend to be most pronounced toward the end of your radiation treatment.
Skin damage is a common side effect of radiation therapy and having a good skin care routine is.
On these pages you can read about the kinds of side effects you may experience over the course of your radiation treatment.
However you may lose some hair under your arm or on the breast or chest area getting radiation this may be a concern for some men with breast cancer.
The radiation dose and schedule for metastases depends on a number of factors including.
Many people who get radiation therapy have fatigue.
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.
Sleep problems and insomnia.
Common side effects during treatment may include.
Damage to healthy cells can cause side effects.
Nausea is rare with radiation therapy to the breast.
Keep in mind that side effects vary from person to person even among people receiving the same type of cancer treatment.
Common short term side effects include.
Over time treatments should become.
Hormone therapy following surgery radiation or chemotherapy has been shown to reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence in people with early stage hormone sensitive breast cancers.
Urinary and bladder problems.
You won t lose the hair on your head.
Mild to moderate fatigue.
Late side effects can take months or even years to develop.
There are many different types of side effects.
Rare short or long term side effects.
The most common early side effects are fatigue feeling tired and skin changes.
Some people experience mild discomfort or pain around the breast or stiffness in the shoulder area.
It can also effectively reduce the risk of metastatic breast cancer growth and progression in people with hormone sensitive tumors.
Fatigue is feeling exhausted and worn out.
Lowered white blood cell counts.
After your sessions are complete it may be several days or weeks before side effects clear up.
Sexual health issues in men.
Radiation not only kills or slows the growth of cancer cells it can also affect nearby healthy cells.
Read about the how radiation affects the skin in the managing skin side effects pages.
Sexual health issues in women.
Some common side effects of breast cancer treatment are fatigue pain nausea vomiting decreased blood cell counts hair loss and mouth sores.
Still if you do have fears about side effects it can take away your peace of mind.