In some cases scar tissue can form in the vagina. Generally the side effects of radiotherapy are related only to the area of the body that was treated says Dr.
This is more common after vaginal brachytherapy than after pelvic radiation therapy.
Long term side effects of radiation. Low blood counts are diagnosed with a blood test. These side effects that are likely to develop after some years are. Your healthcare provider will ask you about your symptoms and decide if they are side effects of radiation therapy.
However they may be more significant. Side effects of radiation therapy to the brain may include. As with conventional radiation therapy fatigue is one of the most commonly reported symptoms of treatment.
However these radiotherapy side effects are less common and occur only when the radiation damages your body. Most of these problems get better over time but radiation therapy can cause longer-term side effects as well. These late effects are usually mild they may come and go and they may not have any major impact on your daily life.
If the radiation damages the lining of the bladder radiation cystitis can be a long-term problem that causes blood in the urine or pain when passing urine. Women undergoing general hysterectomies may also experience pelvic floor dysfunction. Swelling of the brain or around the treatment area which usually shows up about 6.
This may cause low blood counts. The only long-term side effect of radiation that occurs outside the area that was treated is some lingering mild fatigue which typically fades within three to six months. Long-term or late effects Radiation therapy can also cause effects months or years after treatment.
Patients who undergo radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma tend to suffer from chronic sinusitis. However as more medical research assess the long term effects from radiation on gynecological cancers it becomes clearer. Childhood cancer survivors experience some of these late side effects.
Radiation therapy may prevent the bone marrow from making red blood cells white blood cells and platelets. High doses of radiation therapy to the brain are more likely to cause long-term problems. This fatigue tends to be most severe the farther along in treatment you are.
6 Skin RednessRashes Radiation Dermatitis Redness is common with proton beam therapy and less commonly blistering and skin breakdown may occur. What are the most common long-term side effects of radiation. Long-term side effects Radiation therapy may cause changes to the lining of the vagina leading to vaginal dryness.
Heart problems including an increased risk of heart attacks Blood vessel problems including an increased risk of stroke Lung problems which can cause difficulty breathing. In children the younger the child the more sensitive the brain cells are to the side effects of radiation. But after a few days or weeks they may experience delayed and long-term side-effects such as.
Pelvic radiation damage is more prolific than originally thought. Long-Term Side Effects of Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer Studies show that over time men who have undergone this procedure tend to develop long-term side effects. These side effects present difficult challenges to the patients and their caregivers and require life-long strategies to alleviate their deleterious effect on basic life functions and on the quality of life.
