What exposure to radiation can increase the risk of cancer?
High-energy radiation, such as x-rays, gamma rays, alpha particles, beta particles, and neutrons, can damage DNA and cause cancer. These forms of radiation can be released in accidents at nuclear power plants and when atomic weapons are made, tested, or used.
What happens if you have chronic exposure to radiation?
Exposure to very high levels of radiation, such as being close to an atomic blast, can cause acute health effects such as skin burns and acute radiation syndrome (“radiation sickness”). It can also result in long-term health effects such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.
How long does it take radiation to kill cancer cells?
Radiation therapy does not kill cancer cells right away. It takes days or weeks of treatment before DNA is damaged enough for cancer cells to die. Then, cancer cells keep dying for weeks or months after radiation therapy ends.
How soon after radiotherapy can I travel?
Most people are fine a few weeks after treatment is over. However, you should always check with your doctor first. People who have had intensive treatment, such as a stem cell transplant, are at risk of infection for longer. After the first year, you can usually travel abroad.
Can you go in sun after radiotherapy?
If you’re having radiotherapy, don’t expose the treated area to the sun until your radiotherapy has finished and any skin reaction has settled down. The skin in the treated area will remain sensitive to the sun for some time after treatment so you will need to use sunscreen.
How long after radiotherapy can I go swimming?
Avoid swimming for a short time after treatment has finished, until any skin reactions have healed up. Wet swim suits can also rub the skin and chemicals in a pool can cause irritation.
Can I go swimming during radiotherapy?
Swimming may not be advisable if you develop a skin reaction as the chlorine in the water may irritate your skin. If you do swim during treatment, make sure you rinse the skin well and apply aqueous cream. Discuss this with your doctor, radiographer or nurse.
What does radiation fatigue feel like?
What does fatigue from radiation therapy feel like? The fatigue you feel from cancer and radiation therapy differs from other times you’ve felt tired. It’s an exhaustion that doesn’t get better with rest and can keep you from doing the things you normally do, like going to work or spending time with family and friends.
What does radiotherapy do to your body?
Radiation not only kills or slows the growth of cancer cells, it can also affect nearby healthy cells. Damage to healthy cells can cause side effects. Many people who get radiation therapy have fatigue. Fatigue is feeling exhausted and worn out.
Can radiation be done twice?
Radiation cannot be given twice to the same area. You have extensive cancer in the breast or have two or more separate areas of cancer in the same breast. If cancer is extensive or in multiple areas, a mastectomy may be required.
When is radiotherapy used instead of chemotherapy?
Radiation will kill all cells in its path and is used if doctors need a second treatment choice to augment chemotherapy. If doctors feel that all of the cancer can be removed with surgery and chemotherapy, radiation may not be needed.
Is it safe to be around someone receiving radiation therapy?
Some cancer patients who receive radiation therapy worry that their bodies will become “radioactive” after they receive radiation treatment. Their concern is that close physical contact with others could expose them to radiation. “The general answer to this concern is that physical contact is fine,” Snyder says.
What should I avoid after radiation?
Foods to avoid or reduce during radiation therapy include sodium (salt), added sugars, solid (saturated) fats, and an excess of alcohol. Some salt is needed in all diets. Your doctor or dietitian can recommend how much salt you should consume based on your medical history.
Can radiation spread from person to person?
Radiation cannot be spread from person to person. Small quantities of radioactive materials occur naturally in the air, drinking water, food and our own bodies. People also can come into contact with radiation through medical procedures, such as X-rays and some cancer treatments.