Family Physician: A Friend to Depend On

Posted on: 16 January 2017

When you learn that you need to undergo radiation therapy, it can be an intimidating and frightening realization. Unfortunately, patients are notoriously poorly informed when it concerns radiation therapy. In order to help you have the knowledge needed to be prepared for these life-saving treatments, there are some myths that should be corrected.

Myth: Radiation Therapy Always Makes You Nauseous

Patients can often be extremely concerned about the side-effects that radiation therapy can cause. In particular, people will often assume that nausea is an unavoidable side-effect of this treatment. However, this misconception often stems from confusing radiation therapy with chemotherapy. As radiation therapy will rarely cause nausea in patients. Typically, those that suffer nausea are receiving particularly high doses or treatments focused on the abdominal area of the body. In instances where nausea can be expected, your doctor will be able to provide you with medication that can help to negate this side effect.  

Myth: Hair Loss Is A Common Side Effect Of Radiation Therapy

Another common misconception about radiation therapy is that it will cause hair to fall out. Not surprisingly, this could be an embarrassing cosmetic problem for individuals to experience. Luckily, you should be relieved to learn that hair loss is not typically an issue that radiation therapy patients will experience. The only instances where hair loss should be expected is when the skull is being treated. If this is the area of the body that you need treated, your hair will start to regrow relatively soon after your radiation therapy sessions are concluded.

Myth: Radiation Therapy Sessions Are Extremely Time-Consuming

Another routinely believed notion about radiation therapy sessions is that they will be extremely lengthy. While it is true that you will likely need to undergo these therapy sessions for several weeks, each individual sessions will be able to be completed in a fairly short period of time. For most patients, the entire sessions will be completed in less than an hour. This can limit the disruptions that these sessions can cause to your daily schedule and obligations.

When you are diagnosed with cancer or other serious conditions, radiation therapy can be one of the best options for effectively treating the disease. Learning as much as you can about these treatments can help you to be prepared for what to expect, which may help to reduce the stress and concern that you are feeling. Knowing that nausea and hair loss are not guaranteed to accompany this type of therapy as well as the fact that the individual therapy sessions are relatively short can help you to be an informed patient as you fight your disease.