If you've had radiation, you may be more likely to develop bone loss, especially near the site of radiation. “Bone loss from radiation treatments is often delayed for several years,” says Thosani. That's why screening and follow-up care are important for maintaining healthy bones.
“The radiation destroys the blood supply to the bone and damages the osteoblasts; thus, the biggest problem is that the bone never heals,” she said. “The bone has been irreversibly damaged, so the way we would normally treat fractures is completely different.”
Specific bone complications of radiation include osteopenia, growth arrest, fracture and malignancy. Some of these complications, such as osteopenia, are reversible and severity is dose dependent.
Walking, climbing stairs, and dancing are impact (or weight-bearing) exercises that strengthen your bones by moving your body against gravity when you are upright Resistance exercises such as lifting weights or using exercise bands strengthen your bones and your muscles, too!
The high vulnerability to ionizing radiation (IR) has previously been documented in some bones (pelvis, sternum, vertebra, clavicle, femoral head, and mandible) [2]; leading to deleterious effect on the bone metabolism and healing, increasing the risk for infection, atrophy, pathological fractures, and ...
The most radiation-sensitive organs include the hematopoietic system [4], the gastrointestinal (GI) system [5], skin [6, 7], vascular system [8, 9], reproductive system, and brain [10–12].
As a result of these epidemiological studies, it was found that the mammary gland, skin, and colon, etc. are tissues and organs that are easily affected by radiation and develop cancer.
tingling, weakness or loss of sensation in one or both legs – this is very rare and is called radiotherapy induced lumbosacral plexopathy (RILP)
Most side effects generally go away within a few weeks to 2 months of finishing treatment. But some side effects may continue after treatment is over because it takes time for healthy cells to recover from the effects of radiation therapy. Late side effects can happen months or years after treatment.
Even though most radiation treatments only target specific collections of cancer cells, the effects of radiation can easily spread to nearby cells. Most recover within a few weeks, but some injuries develop later or require a longer recovery process.
Dense bone absorbs much of the radiation while soft tissue (muscle, fat, and organs) allow more of the x-rays to pass through them. As a result, bones appear white on the x-ray, soft tissue shows up in shades of gray, and air appears black.
“Radiation therapy has always provided safe and effective relief for patients experiencing bone pain from metastatic cancer,” Dr. Lutz continued.
Radiation-induced bone fracture is a relatively common late complication of cancer treatment. RT-induced skeletal fractures at directly irradiated locations can result in substantial patient morbidity, loss of independence and increased mortality.
Healthy cells that are damaged during radiation treatment usually recover within a few months after treatment is over. But sometimes people may have side effects that do not improve. Other side effects may show up months or years after radiation therapy is over. These are called late effects.
Some sources of the radiation stay in the body for only a short time. Others, like seeds and radioactive medicines stay in the body forever. But the radiation gets weaker and is used up over time. Internal radiation does make you radioactive for a short time.
Common physical side effects of radiation therapy include: Skin changes. Some people who receive radiation therapy experience dryness, itching, blistering, or peeling on the skin in the area being treated. Skin changes from radiation therapy usually go away a few weeks after treatment ends.
Some cancers are difficult to treat and have high rates of recurrence. Glioblastoma, for example, recurs in nearly all patients, despite treatment. The rate of recurrence among patients with ovarian cancer is also high at 85%.
The most common early side effects are fatigue (feeling tired) and skin changes. Other early side effects usually are related to the area being treated, such as hair loss and mouth problems when radiation treatment is given to this area. Late side effects can take months or even years to develop.
After radiation therapy begins, fatigue usually increases until mid-way through the course of treatments and then stays about the same until treatment ends. For many patients, fatigue improves after radiation therapy stops. However, in some patients, fatigue will last months or years after treatment ends.
Don't wear tight clothing over the treatment area. It's important not to rub, scrub or scratch any sensitive spots. Also avoid putting anything that is very hot or very cold—such as heating pads or ice packs—on your treated skin.
Gamma rays are the most harmful external hazard. Beta particles can partially penetrate skin, causing “beta burns”. Alpha particles cannot penetrate intact skin. Gamma and x-rays can pass through a person damaging cells in their path.
These effects include radiation sickness and death, cataracts, sterility, loss of hair, reduced thyroid function and skin radiation burns. The severity of these effects increases with the size of the dose. Radiation Sickness - At doses of about 60 rem, 5% of exposed individuals may vomit.