Radiation therapy for breast cancer is a treatment that uses radiation energy to kill rapidly-dividing cancer cells in the breast. The treatment is potentially curative and it can be a substitute for invasive surgery. It can also be combined with surgery to kill any remaining cells that may still be left behind after the operation. Today's radiation treatments have become increasingly precise, but some side effects still exist.
Skin changes
Radiation therapy for breast cancer targets tissues in the breast under the skin, but to get there it still has to pass through the skin. Because skin cells divide fairly rapidly, they are inadvertently damaged by the radiation. According to Medline Plus, a publication of the National Institutes of Health, signs of skin damage include redness, dryness and discomfort over the affected area. The discomfort passes shortly after the completion of treatment, but the color changes and dryness can persist long-term.
Fatigue
Due to the toxic effects of the radiation, many women experience fatigue after the radiation treatment. According to BreastCancer.org, the symptoms are more severe when the radiation is combined with chemotherapy to treat the breast cancer. The fatigue has two phases. The initial fatigue during the time of treatment usually resolves after about a month, but the treatment damage done to the blood cells can also cause the fatigue to persist long-term.
Anemia
Radiation therapy, especially when combined with other cancer treatments, can cause anemia in women being treated for breast cancer. Radiation and other cancer treatments are toxic to any cells in the body that divide rapidly, which includes blood cells and bone marrow cells that make the blood cells. According to the American Society of Radiatoin Oncology, women who are undergoing treatment for breast cancer should have their blood counts checked frequently by their physician to catch signs of anemia early. Damage to certain blood components, such as white blood cells and platelets, has a higher chance of being long-term.
Increased cancer risk
According to the American Cancer Society, radiation therapy to one area of the body can increase the cancer risk to areas of the body that are in the line of the radiation beam. For breast cancer, that may include the lungs, neck and nearby skin. The likelihood of such cancers has decreased with improved radiation treatment, but the risk exists and is life-long.
