Side effects
Side effects of Radiation Therapy
It's a fact that medical science has made enormous strides in improving the delivery of radiation, and the area of the body being treated with radiation is far more precisely targeted than ever before. Still, radiotherapy has some side effects. Though the radiation beam travels directly to the target area to be treated, it also affects organ tissues in its path. This damage to the healthy cells results in the side effects of radiation therapy.
The commonest general side effects of radiotherapy for mesothelioma in general are
reddening and irritation of the skin in the treatment area, and fatigue. Patients treated for pleural mesothelioma may experience shortness of breath. Patients treated for peritoneal mesothelioma my have nausea, lack of appetite, diarrhea, or vomiting.
Anna L. Kaplan, M.D.
