Radiation therapy can have some side effects. Some begin during treatment, while others might not happen for months or years later.
During and just after treatment, you may feel tired, and your treated breast may be sore. Mild pain relievers such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen can ease breast tenderness. The treated breast may also be rough to the touch, red (like a sunburn) and a little swollen. Sometimes the skin may peel, as if it were sunburned. Your radiation oncologist may suggest creams to ease this discomfort. Most often, these symptoms begin within a few weeks of starting treatment and will go away after treatment ends [6]. For more on easing pain related to radiation therapy, visit the Pain Management section.
Long-term, you may notice firmness and/or shrinkage of the breast, which is often permanent. Some women also have mild, permanent tanning of the skin in the treated area. Nausea and hair loss are not common with radiation therapy.
Women who have axillary lymph nodes removed may develop lymphedema, a condition in which fluid collects in the arm and/or hand, causing it to swell. The chances of getting lymphedema are greater if your treatment involves both the removal of multiple lymph nodes during surgery and radiation therapy in the armpit area [6]. For more information, visit the Lymphedema section.
Four rare conditions that may occur a few months or years after radiation treatment are rib fracture, heart injury, radiation pneumonitis and brachial plexopathy.
- Rib fracture occurs when the radiation weakens the rib cage near the area of treatment.
- Injury to the heart can result from radiation therapy given to the left side of the chest. With modern radiation therapy, however, this is unlikely.
- Radiation pneumonitis is an inflammation of the lungs which is rare, but can occur within the first few months after treatment. It can cause shortness of breath, a dry cough and low-grade fever. Severe symptoms can often be relieved by anti-inflammatory drugs. Radiation pneumonitis almost always goes away with time.
- Brachial plexopathy can result from radiation damage to nerves in the upper chest. It may cause tingling, pain and weakness in the affected hand and arm. The damage can be permanent or temporary. With modern radiation, this is a very unlikely complication.
Rarely, radiation treatment can cause a second cancer, most commonly a sarcoma (a cancer of the connective tissue). Leukemia, lung cancer, ovarian cancer and cancer in the contralateral (opposite) breast have also been linked to radiation therapy [7-9]. However, this risk is quite small and is typically far outweighed by the benefits of radiation therapy.
Updated 08/24/09
