Side Effects Of Prophylactic Brain Radiation

Modern radiotherapy techniques may help to reduce the risk of side effects from pci.

Side effects of prophylactic brain radiation.

Prophylactic cranial irradiation overview collaborative group. Skin and scalp changes. Common side effects depend on where the radiation therapy is aimed and can include. There are specific parts of the brain that are more sensitive e g.

Since the developing brain is much more sensitive to irradiation than the adult brain pci in children leads to high rates of acute and late toxicities 30 32. Radiation therapy a widely used treatment for brain metastases can impair important brain functions like memory processing speed and attention span often greatly affecting patients quality of life. Following the diagnosis she began chemotherapy and radiotherapy. I am new to this and was hoping i could find out more about the side effects of prophylactic cranial irradiation.

Radiation induced fatigue is best treated by getting plenty of rest. Radiation induced erythema skin redness can be aggravating and lead to peeling and blistering particularly in people with fair skin. A little exercise or a walk around the block can also help both physically and mentally. Aupérin a arriagada r pignon jp et al.

My mum was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer in january 2009. Prophylactic cranial irradiation for patients with small cell lung cancer in complete remission. You can better manage this by taking cool showers avoiding harsh soaps and fragrances moisturizing regularly and dusting the affecting skin with cornstarch not talc to. Radiation to the brain can cause these short term side effects.

Below are the most common side effects of radiation therapy to the brain. In total she has had 5 sessions of chemo and 25 sessions of radiotherapy. Side effects may be worse if you are also getting chemotherapy. Some fatigue skin irritation and later hair loss.

Swelling in your brain. The most evident risk factor for developing side effects is age. You may have all some or none of these. Trouble with memory and speech.

For instance if you are treated for an acoustic neuroma a tumor involving the nerve that controls hearing you might lose some hearing. Skin changes in the area being treated which can range from mild redness to blistering and peeling hair loss in the area where the radiation enters the body. The optic chiasm in patients with pituitary tumors and there are higher risks in patients who are also treated with chemotherapy e g. Some of these side effects can happen because radiation has caused the brain to swell.

Radiation therapy to the brain may cause brain swelling. Brain lymphoma the short term side effects of brain radiation are usually mild. N engl j med. Which side effects and how severe they are depend on many factors such as the dose of radiation the number of treatments and your overall health.