But medical advances have made the experience less traumatic. Drugs are available right now that can reduce or even eliminate treatment-induced nausea and fatigue. Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet, and sticking as closely as possible to a normal routine during treatment helps many patients feel significantly better, both physically and emotionally. Side effects will vary depending on where the beam is directed. Heart problems may develop in lung cancer patients who've had radiotherapy, and radiation directed at the colon can bring on diarrhea.
Most people experience some degree of skin burning at the radiation site.
These drugs block the function of these hormones, so the cancerous cells won't multiply. Side effects of hormone therapy can include menopausal symptoms and irreversible infertility. Scientific breakthroughs are being made all the time, and many of today's experimental therapies may soon become commonplace. All rights reserved.