FAQs About Radiation Therapy for Lung Cancer
Q: What are the side effects of radiation therapy for lung cancer?
The most common side effects are: Fatigue and skin irritation, including redness, dryness, tanning, and itchiness.
Skin breakdown, burn and ulcer formation is extremely rare during lung cancer treatment.
You may lose hair on the chest, but not the hair on your head.
(However, it is worth mentioning that certain types of chemotherapy that may be given together with radiation may cause hair loss on your head as well.)
You may experience shortness of breath, a dry cough, difficulty or pain swallowing, or narrowing of the esophagus.
Q: Will I be able to breathe normally during my treatment?
Yes, you may be able to breathe normally if your team uses respiratory gating technology.
For some cases you may be asked to hold your breath for several seconds while the radiation beam is on.
Respiratory gating is a technique that allows your team to study the motion of your chest as you breathe.
A small cube called a chest block is placed on your chest and monitors the position of your lungs and your breathing cycle.
The chest block transmits a signal back to the control room, where your radiation therapist can observe the pattern of your breathing and control the delivery of the radiation.
The chest block tells the doctor if you’re breathing the same way as you were observed during simulation, or if the timing of the radiation beam needs to be adjusted to make sure that exposure to sensitive organs is minimized.
Your team may also take additional scans to see if your internal organs or the position of the tumor have shifted. Both pieces of information—your breath and the position of your organs—need to be captured at the same time in order to deliver the most accurate treatment possible.
Q: How many treatment sessions will I have to undergo?
The number of treatment sessions depends on the type and stage of your cancer, and what kind of treatment your radiation oncologist thinks is most appropriate for your specific case.
He or she will work closely with your treatment team to decide how to treat your tumor safely and effectively.
If your radiation oncologist recommends radiosurgery for you treatment, you will have five or fewer sessions, averaging at 20 minutes or more per session.
If radiation therapy is more appropriate for your case, you may have to come in five days a week for several weeks.
For more FAQs, see Radiation Therapy FAQs.
