| Complications from radiation therapy and their severity depend on several factors, including the dose of radiation and tissues radiated. Many tissues of the body are affected, and some resist the effects of radiation therapy better than others. Tissues that rapidly divide, such as bone marrow and the cells that line the intestinal tract, are very sensitive to the effects of radiation therapy. Complications may occur within the first 6 months of therapy (acute effects), the second 6 months (subacute effects), or years later (late effects).
Radiation therapy to the skin may cause complications such as redness (erythema), peeling (desquamation), hair loss, and itching (pruritus). Radiation to the gastrointestinal tract may produce a number of complications, depending on the area radiated. Complications can include loss of appetite (anorexia), mouth dryness (xerostomia), inflammation of the mucous membranes of the mouth (mucositis), mouth and throat pain, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and rectal pain and bleeding.
Radiation to the liver may cause radiation hepatitis, with symptoms such as a general feeling of ill health (malaise), fever, right-sided upper abdominal quadrant pain, and fluid accumulation in the abdominal cavity (ascites). Radiation to the lungs may cause radiation pneumonitis. Symptoms can include difficulty breathing (dyspnea), fever, chest pain, and a cough. Permanent damage to lung tissues (fibrosis) can occur. Radiation to the heart may cause pericarditis. Symptoms of pericarditis include pain and difficulty breathing. The heart may be severely damaged by radiation therapy.
Radiation to the bladder and kidneys can result in radiation cystitis. Symptoms include painful or difficult urination (dysuria), frequency, urgency, excessive nighttime urination (nocturia), and blood in the urine (hematuria). The ovaries or testes may be affected, often resulting in infertility. Radiation to the brain may kill brain cells (necrosis). The symptoms of brain necrosis are similar to the symptoms of recurrence of the brain tumor. Radiation to the spinal cord may result in shock-like sensations going from the back to the extremities (Lhermitte's sign). Radiation myelopathy may also develop with spinal cord radiation. Symptoms can include sensations of numbness, prickling or tingling (paresthesias), and loss of control over muscular movement, bowel, and bladder function. Finally, other types of cancer such as leukemia may develop several years after treatment by radiation therapy. |
Source: Medical Disability Advisor