Upon exposure to high doses of radiation, cancer cells acquire massive amounts of DNA damage, rendering the cells unable to survive and grow. With several radiation treatments and resulting waves of cancer cell death, doctors may induce cancer remission. Although an effective therapy for several forms of cancer, radiation treatment also has a number of drawbacks.
Risk of Second Cancer
Radiation treatment has been linked to increased risk of developing a second cancer in the years after receiving radiation therapy. During radiation treatment, doctors aim a high dose of radiation into regions of cancer growth in an effort to ensure that the highest radiation exposure occurs within the tumor. However, the healthy tissue surrounding the cancer also receives a low dose of cell-damaging radiation, and this damage can eventually lead to other forms of cancer. The National Cancer Institute indicates that the type of second cancer depends on the area of the body that receives radiation treatment, and that the risk of developing a second cancer is higher in patients who receive radiation treatment early in life.
Skin Burns
Patients who receive external beam radiation often develop radiation burns in the skin overlying the tumors, which may lead to long-term changes in the feel of the skin. Since external radiation therapy requires that the beam of radiation penetrate the skin, the skin over the tumor also receives a very high dose of radiation, leading to damage and death of the skin cells. The National Cancer Institute indicates that patients may develop dryness, redness and blistering of the affected skin, as well as swelling around the radiation site. Patients experiencing skin buns after radiation therapy may ease their discomfort with pain medication and should keep the affected skin clean and dry to prevent infection.
Localized Action
During cancer development, cells can migrate away from the primary tumor and enter the bloodstream or lymphatic system, eventually travelling throughout the body. As a result, patients with advanced cancers may develop tumor growth in multiple organs. However, since radiation treatment requires a dose of radiation be aimed directly into tumor growth, radiation treatment only targets cancer cells within one part of the body, instead of targeting cancer cells in multiple tissues at once. As a result, patients with advanced or metastatic cancers may require additional treatment, such as chemotherapy, to effectively manage their cancer.
