What Are The Side Effects Of Radiation Therapy?

Shortness Of Breath

A common side effect seen in individuals who undergo radiation therapy is shortness of breath during and following treatment sessions. This symptom is most common in patients receiving radiation therapy targeted at their upper abdomen, neck, or chest. Most cases are also the result of a treatment method referred to as radical radiotherapy, an intensive and long course of radiation treatment to cure cancer. Radiation therapy is the use of targeted beams of very concentrated particles or energy that cause damage to the DNA of cancerous cells. This cellular DNA damage caused by the radiation beams inhibits the growth and division of cancerous cells if it does not eliminate them. While radiation therapy has come a long way in terms of technology, it still can produce damage to the healthy tissues around the region being treated. Radiation beams can hit the fragile tissues of a patient's lungs and cause them to experience inflammation. This type of lung inflammation is referred to as acute radiation pneumonitis and causes shortness of breath.

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