What Are The Side Effects Of Radiation Therapy?

Hair Loss

Some individuals having radiation therapy may experience hair loss. An individual typically only loses hair in the region of the body being treated. The amount of hair loss and the time it takes for it to grow back depends on the dosage of a patient's radiation and can vary from one patient to the next. In most cases, the patient experiences hair loss on the part of the body being treated around two to three weeks following the first session.

Hair loss is usually temporary in cases where smaller doses of radiation are administered frequently versus when larger doses are administered less often or just as frequently. Some patients experience permanent hair loss in the treated area. After the final session of radiation therapy, many patients will see hair regrowth at some point between three and six months. It is not uncommon for a patient's hair to grow back with a different color, texture, and consistency.

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Skin Problems

It is common for radiation therapy patients to experience skin problems. External radiation therapy typically causes skin problems to occur due to the mechanism of the treatment. The high energy beams of radiation or particles have to pass through the patient's skin to reach the tissues underneath it. These skin issues occur because radiation therapy causes damage to the cells that make up the skin tissue it passes through. This mechanism is similar to a sunburn. However, it has been described as more painful and concentrated only on the skin above the treated area.

It is common to see the skin become red, itchy, and dry in some cases due to radiation therapy. The skin may appear swollen, and blisters may form in some patients who have more sensitive skin than others. The skin may also become darker in the area, similar to how an individual's skin tans when exposed to the sun. Reactions that occur on a patient's skin due to radiation therapy typically resolve within a month following the final treatment session.

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