During and after radiation treatment, patients may experience: Increase in frequency of urination (i.e., needing to urinate more often, including frequent urination at night) Increased feeling of urinary urgency (i.e., a strong, sudden need to urinate)
What should I expect during radiation treatment for cancer?
What to expect during radiation treatment for cancer depends on whether you are having external beam radiation therapy or internal radiation therapy, also called high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy. Your first radiation therapy appointment won’t include any actual radiation therapy.
How long does it take to be seen for radiation therapy?
Once you are ready to begin radiation therapy, you can usually be seen within one to two days at Rocky Mountain Cancers Centers. What can I expect if I am receiving external beam radiation therapy?
What happens during a CT scan for radiation therapy?
Instead, you’ll come in for a CT scan, which is used to help plan your radiation therapy. You will be positioned as you would during treatment — usually lying flat on your back — and scans will be taken of the area of the body that will be treated.
What are the side effects of radiation therapy?
Many people experience fatigue, sensitive skin at the site of radiation exposure, and emotional distress during radiation therapy. It is important to rest and take care of yourself during radiation therapy.
What to expect when you start radiation treatments?
The most common early side effects are fatigue (feeling tired) and skin changes. Other early side effects usually are related to the area being treated, such as hair loss and mouth problems when radiation treatment is given to this area. Late side effects can take months or even years to develop.
How many hours does a radiation treatment take?
In most instances, treatments are usually spread out over several weeks to allow your healthy cells to recover in between radiation therapy sessions. Expect each treatment session to last approximately 10 to 30 minutes.
Is radiology treatment painful?
You won't be able to feel the radiation itself. External radiation takes a few weeks to work, but 7 out of 10 people say they had at least half as much pain after the treatment. For some people, it gets rid of the pain completely.
What happens at a radiation consult?
This is a meeting with you, your radiation oncologist and other members of the radiation team. Usually, your treatment planning will involve taking detailed images of your body and making precise marks in the areas that will receive the radiation beams.
What do you wear during radiation therapy?
Wear loose, soft, cotton clothing over the area being treated. Avoid stiff or starched clothing near the area being treated. Do not put anything but mild soap (such as Dove) and lukewarm water on the skin in the treated area, unless the doctor or nurse says that it is safe to do so.
What should you avoid during radiation?
Avoid raw vegetables and fruits, and other hard, dry foods such as chips or pretzels. It's also best to avoid salty, spicy or acidic foods if you are experiencing these symptoms. Your care team can recommend nutrient-based oral care solutions if you are experiencing mucositis or mouth sores caused by cancer treatment.
Does radiation affect sleep?
The role of radiation therapy in sleep disturbance is poorly understood, but cranial irradiation is a well-established risk factor for sleep problems, including somnolence syndrome.
Is radiation worse than chemo?
The radiation beams change the DNA makeup of the tumor, causing it to shrink or die. This type of cancer treatment has fewer side effects than chemotherapy since it only targets one area of the body.
How do you feel after radiotherapy?
Ask your care team about the side effects you might get.Sore skin. In some people, radiotherapy can make the skin sore and red (similar to sunburn), darker than normal or dry and itchy. ... Tiredness. ... Hair loss. ... Feeling sick. ... Problems eating and drinking. ... Diarrhoea. ... Stiff joints and muscles. ... Sex and fertility issues.More items...
Do you feel sick after first radiation treatment?
You may feel sick (nauseated), with or without vomiting, for several hours after each treatment. Your radiation oncologist may prescribe medicine (antiemetic) to take at home before and after each session to prevent nausea.
How long does first radiation treatment take?
Each radiation therapy treatment takes about 10 minutes. Radiation therapy to try and cure cancer is usually delivered daily, Monday through Friday, for about five to eight weeks. Weekend breaks allow normal cells to recover. Shorter durations of radiation therapy may be used to relieve symptoms.
Is there pain after radiation treatment?
Managing discomforts Some patients need help managing pain that can sometimes result at the treatment site after radiation therapy. You should not use a heating pad or warm compress to relieve pain in any area treated with radiation. Mild pain medicine may be enough for some people.
How long does radiation treatment last?
What Happens During Radiation. The treatment is normally Monday through Friday and lasts about 45 minutes. A lot of time is spent getting your body in the right position, so the radiation hits its desired locations. You lay down on a custom-molded table. A technician positions your body using lasers and measurements.
How long does it take for radiation to hit your body?
This may seem scary, but this ensures the radiation does not hit healthy areas. The radiation takes a couple of minutes. You can sense when the radiation hits your body if you receive radiation to your brain.
Does radiation cause hair loss?
Radiation to your brain causes hair loss, but over time it grows back. As your hair grows again, so will you. Remember, during and after radiation treatment, listen to your body, ask questions, acknowledge side effects and adjust.
Consultation
The consultation is an important visit that allows both you and the radiation oncologist to gain more information. During the consultation, the radiation oncologist will obtain a medical history and perform a physical examination.
CT Simulation
After the initial consultation and decision to use radiation treatment, the next session is usually a planning session, which is called a simulation. Simulation is used to determine the radiation treatment fields and most of the treatment planning.
Treatment planning
Several steps occur after simulation and prior to treatment; however, you do not need to be present during most of these procedures. The simulation x-ray may be used to design special lead alloy blocks that are used to block normal tissues from the effects of radiation.
Radiation treatment
Radiation treatment is usually given in another room separate from the simulation room. The treatment plans and treatment fields that result from the simulation session are transferred over to the treatment room, which contains a linear accelerator focused on a patient table similar to the one in the simulation room.
How long does radiation therapy last?
Each session is quick and painless, usually lasting no more than 15 minutes. Treatments usually occur five times a week (Monday through Friday) and continue for three to nine weeks.
How often should you check for radiation oncology?
Typically, this will happen at least once a week. In some cases, image guidance may be used to ensure the radiation beam is always aimed correctly. Side effects might be experienced.
What is the most common radiation therapy for cancer?
External beam radiation is the most common radiation therapy for cancer. Internal Radiation Therapy: Also called brachytherapy, this type involves placing radiation sources as close as possible to the tumor site. Typically, you will have repeated treatments across a number of days and weeks. In some cases you’ll need to stay immobile ...
What is the first radiation session?
Your first radiation therapy session is actually a simulation that will prepare you for a true therapy session. Imaging scans such as computed tomography (CT) scan, a magnetic resonance image (MRI), or an x-ray will be used to help identify the specific location of the tumor, or where the tumor used to be.
What does an oncologist do?
The oncologist will review your records, speak with your medical oncologist if one has been involved in your treatment, and may even speak with the surgeon if you’ve had surgery. The radiation oncologist will also perform a medical exam as well as other tests that will help plan your treatment.
What is radiation therapy?
Radiation therapy is a common treatment for cancer. In this section, we’ll address what to expect before, during, and after radiation treatment.
Does radiation oncology cause nausea?
Your radiation oncologist will do everything possible to minimize side effects by making sure the dose is as carefully directed towards the cancerous cells as possible. Fatigue is the most common acute side effect. Nausea and vomiting may also be experienced. Most acute side effects go away after treatment is done.
How long does radiation therapy last?
Type of radiation therapy used. Most external beam radiation, when used to shrink a tumor before surgery, is administered five days a week for five to eight weeks. Fewer treatments may be used if the goal is easing cancer-related symptoms.
What do radiation oncologists do after you leave your first appointment?
After you leave your first appointment with your radiation oncologist, they will use your scans to map out the exact location of the cancer within your body as well as noting the location of any surrounding healthy organs that need to be avoided during treatment.
What is radiation therapy?
Radiation therapy used as preoperative therapy to shrink a tumor that will then be removed surgically is referred to as neoadjuvant therapy. When radiation is administered at the same time as chemotherapy or immunotherapy, it’s called concurrent treatment.
What is radiation therapy after surgery called?
Radiation therapy used as a treatment after surgery or chemotherapy is called adjuvant therapy . Its goal is to kill off any cancer cells that may have been left behind to reduce the chances of recurrence.
What is the difference between a radiation physicist and a dosimetrist?
Radiation physicist: Calibrates radiation equipment and ensures it delivers the proper amount of radiation as prescribed by your radiation oncologist. Dosimetrist: Uses computer imaging to create a radiation delivery plan based on the location of the tumor.
What is the only treatment for cancer?
In some cases, radiation therapy will be the only treatment needed to treat a cancer, but often it is used in conjunction with other treatments, such as surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or some combination.
How many sessions of radiation therapy for cancer?
Internal radiation therapy for cancer may be completed in one session or a series of three to five sessions about a week apart .
What kind of imaging is used for radiation oncology?
Depending upon what kind of treatment you receive and what your doctor thinks will work best, the type of images used (e.g., X-ray, CT scan, ultrasound, etc.) may vary. These images assure your radiation oncologist that the treatment set-up accurately matches the intended target.
What is the purpose of a weekly checkup for radiation?
During radiation therapy, your radiation oncologist and nurse will see you regularly to follow your progress, evaluate whether you are having any side effects, recommend treatments for those side effects (such as medication) and address any concerns you may have.
How does chemotherapy work?
The chemotherapy may work to sensitize the cancer cells in the target area to the radiation therapy and may also travel elsewhere in the body to help destroy or reduce microscopic cancer cells. Your treatment team will help coordinate these therapies and care for potential side effects.
How often can you get chemotherapy and radiation?
In some cases, you may receive chemotherapy and radiation therapy at the same time. The chemotherapy may be delivered daily, weekly, every three weeks or at an alternate schedule determined by the medical oncologist together with the radiation oncologist.
Is radiation therapy painless?
When you undergo external beam radiation therapy treatment, each session is painless, just like getting an X-ray. The radiation is directed at your tumor from a machine located away from your body, usually a linear accelerator. External beam radiation is noninvasive. One of the benefits of radiation therapy is that it is usually given as ...
Can a doctor change your radiation oncology treatment plan?
Your doctor may also make changes in the schedule or treatment plan depending on your response or reaction to the therapy. Your radiation oncology team will gather on a regular basis with other health care professionals to review your case to ensure your treatment is proceeding as planned.
Do you have to miss work after radiation treatment?
You may not need to miss work or experience the type of recuperation period that may follow more invasive treatments. The radiation therapist will deliver your external beam treatment following your radiation oncologist’s instructions.
Finding Premiere Experts and Care
What Happens During Radiation
- The treatment is normally Monday through Friday and lasts about 45 minutes. A lot of time is spent getting your body in the right position, so the radiation hits its desired locations. You lay down on a custom-molded table. A technician positions your body using lasers and measurements. When you are aligned, a mouthguard and wired head case are pla...
What Happens After Radiation
- Radiation side effects are different for each person. You may be able to exercise or perform your ‘normal’ activities. Or you may not. Side effects also tend to get worse as more treatments are given. I lost my hair, experienced a great deal of fatigue and nausea, and skin dryness on treated areas. When these changes happen, acknowledge your side effects and react. No one expects y…
Advice For Others
- After four surgeries and multiple radiation treatments, I live with neuropathy in my feet, nerve damage to my legs, and drop foot on my right foot. I also have radiation retinopathy in my eyes. I go to rehab regularly and receive shots in my eyes to help my vision and reduce swelling. Going through cancer for so long, you have to live through every single hard day to put things into pers…