What are the side effects of radiation therapy for breast cancer?

In recent years, more and more women have been suffering from breast cancer, and many breast cancer patients are relatively young women. After suffering from breast cancer, active treatment is needed. Currently, the most common method of treating breast cancer is radiotherapy. Although radiotherapy has certain harm to physical health, there is currently no good treatment for breast cancer. The following introduces the side effects of radiotherapy for breast cancer.

Side effects of radiation therapy for breast cancer

Radiotherapy has relatively little impact on the whole body of breast cancer patients, and the side effects of patients are very mild compared with the systemic reactions caused by chemotherapy. Some patients may feel fatigue after radiotherapy, and patients who are sensitive to radiation may experience loss of appetite and nausea. Radiation can affect the patient's hematopoietic system, which may cause a decrease in white blood cells and platelets. We will also conduct blood tests on the patient regularly.

The most important side effect of radiotherapy for breast cancer is the radioactive critical reaction of the patient's skin in the irradiated area. After the patient starts treatment, the skin in the irradiated area will gradually turn red and darker. If the patient retains the breast for treatment, the patient may have redness, swelling and pain on the treated side. At the end of radiotherapy, the skin may ulcerate, peel, or even have wet peeling. These are all reactions to radiation burns. These reactions usually resolve gradually after radiation therapy ends, and doctors may also use drugs to reduce burn reactions to prevent them during radiation therapy.

The rays used in radiotherapy have strong penetrating power. In addition to irradiating a part of the breast and chest wall, some deep tissues will also be irradiated, such as the lung tissue under the thorax. After this part is irradiated, the patient may develop radiation pneumonitis and radiation pulmonary fibrosis. Generally speaking, patients do not have any symptoms. Only 1% of patients may develop symptomatic pneumonia, with obvious cough, wheezing, and fever after the treatment. At this time, we must be vigilant and take the patient to see a doctor in time. Radiation pneumonitis is caused by physical damage. Unlike pneumonia caused by bacterial infection, its treatment requires some special treatments in the radiotherapy department.

Patients with left-sided breast cancer will inevitably have part of their heart irradiated during radiotherapy. The chance of serious heart complications during radiation is very small. Generally speaking, the part of the heart irradiated by radiotherapy happens to be the location of the heart's main blood supply. Five or ten years after radiotherapy, these patients have a higher risk of developing coronary heart disease than the normal population. However, this increase has been greatly reduced compared with the past through precise treatment, and is relatively safe.

Radiation will also have a certain impact on the ribs and may cause osteoporosis, but this osteoporosis will not be very serious. We will advise patients to protect the treated side and avoid impact. After impact, the risk of fracture of the irradiated bones is greater than that of normal bones.

Although radiotherapy can reduce recurrence, it does not mean that the breast or chest wall on the radiotreated side will not recur. A small number of patients will still have recurrence in the irradiated area in the future. Generally speaking, we will explain these issues to patients and remind them to protect themselves during the entire treatment process, such as protecting their skin, avoiding infection, and avoiding excessive fatigue.