Page 83 - LIVESTRONG Digital Guidebook

“One of the most important things for me in learning how to deal with my
new body and my new scar was understanding that sharing with other people
is going to make it easier. My policy was always to tell anybody that wanted to
hear and be as open as possible about what was going on in my life.” ­ —AMY D.

Talk with your health care team about what Damage to normal cells or structures of
side effects you might expect. There are many the body can cause radiation side effects. The
new ways to help patients be more comfortable health care provider will try to limit radiation
during treatment. For example, your provider damage to those areas that are close to the
may prescribe medications to control nausea. tumor during treatment. Still, some healthy tis-
He or she may recommend a specific diet dur- sue and organs may be involved in an effort to
ing treatment. be certain all of the cancer is treated.
Always tell your health care provider about Talk with your provider if there is a desire
any side effects that occur during chemotherapy to have children in the future. Decisions about
such as: fertility preservation options should be made
before starting radiation treatment. Women
• Extreme fatigue need to let the health care team know if there is
• Bleeding any possibility of pregnancy because radiation
• Numbness and tingling in could harm a fetus.
limbs (neuropathy) Ask your health care provider to discuss
• Difficulty breathing side effects that radiation therapy could bring
• Eating or drinking problems for your type of cancer. Following treatment,
• Problems with urination or report any side effects to your provider as soon
bowel movements as possible. Early medical care for side effects is
• Memory loss and inability to focus very important.
• Pain Radiation side effects generally depend on
• Infection the area of the body that is treated. They
• Fever may include:

Chemocare.com provides information Head
on the aftereffects of chemotherapy drugs and • Hair loss and changes to hair
how to manage those effects. You can search • Earaches
by the name of your treatment drug. There are • Redness and irritation in the mouth
also tips for eating well during treatment and • Dry mouth, trouble swallowing or
suggestions on when to contact your health changes in taste
care provider. • Changes to teeth, gums, mouth
or throat
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy is the use of X-rays directed Body
at a tumor. This might be done externally (on • Bone growth changes in children who are
the surface of the skin) or internally (inside the still developing
body). The doses may be high or low. They • Dry, irritated or reddened skin
are not the same as the X-rays used to take a • Nausea, vomiting or bowel changes
picture of a tumor. • Eating and digestive problems
Lead shields are used to protect vital • Irritation of the bladder
organs during treatment. This minimizes radia- • Effects on fertility or sexual functioning
tion damage to normal tissues that surround • Breast size changes
the cancer. It also helps direct treatment to the • Lung fibrosis (stiffening or scarring)
same location each time. • Osteoporosis or bone loss

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