Side effects of radiotherapy for pleural mesothelioma
You are unlikely to get side effects from having radiotherapy to your scar, or from radiotherapy to control your symptoms.
You may have side effects if you have a few weeks of radiotherapy treatment after surgery for early pleural mesothelioma. The most common side effects are reddening of the skin and loss of hair in the treatment area.
The side effects you may have
Side effects tend to start a week after the radiotherapy begins. They gradually get worse during the treatment and for a couple of weeks after the treatment ends. But they usually begin to improve after around 2 weeks or so.
These side effects vary from person to person. You may not have all of the effects mentioned.
Side effects can include:
Your skin might go red or darker in the treatment area. You might also get slight redness or darkening on the other side of your body. This is where the radiotherapy beams leave the body.
The red or darker areas can feel sore. Your radiographers will give you creams to soothe your skin. The soreness usually goes away within 2 to 4 weeks of ending the treatment. But your skin might always be slightly darker in that area.
Radiotherapy causes tiredness.
Tiredness starts during your course of treatment. It usually lasts for about a week after your treatment has finished and then gradually gets better.
You might also feel weak and lack energy. Staying active can help.
You may lose some body hair in the treatment area.
Some of the side effects you may have depend on which part of your chest is being treated. If it is:
- your lower chest, you may feel sick or have diarrhoea
- your upper chest, you may develop a dry sore throat
These side effects are usually controllable with anti sickness or anti diarrhoea medicines. Ask your radiotherapy doctor for these if you need them. Any side effects tend to get worse towards the end of your treatment. Then they gradually clear up after it has finished.
While you are having radiotherapy, your radiographer or a physiotherapist may ask you to do particular exercises. These exercises help to prevent stiffness and aching in your chest and shoulder, which some people get after their treatment ends.
