Common Side Effects of Radiation

Radiation causes side effects by damaging the cells in the treatment site. Some patients experience very little or no side effects while other patients may have more severe side effects. Each patient's side effects will depend on many factors: the area of the body being treated, the number of treatments, the size of the treatment field or port, and the dose of the radiation given each time. Radiation side effects also vary according to the age and physical health of the patient or other medical conditions the patient has that could slow the recovery.

Two common side effects of radiation are fatigue or decreased appetite. These side effects are most likely an indirect effect of the treatment because of individual stress or anxiety, the energy it takes to drive in each day for the treatments and the body's response to healing the cell damage. Feeling tired or fatigued from radiation usually starts about the second to third week of treatment and usually increases until the end of your treatment. The fatigue and tiredness will continue for a few weeks after radiation and gradually goes away as the body heals itself. It is important for your family and friends to understand that fatigue is a part of treatment because you will require more rest or sleep and may not be able to work or perform your daily activities.

Radiation causes different side effects depending on the area being treated. That means if you are receiving radiation to the chest you will not lose your hair or get sick to your stomach. Radiation is a local not a systemic treatment.