Brain Radiation Side Effects

Brain radiation is the treatment that is given to people who suffer from a tumor in the head and neck region. This tumor could be anything, ranging from brain tumors, cancers arising outside the brain (like lung cancer) and metastasizing in the brain, pituitary adenomas, meningiomas, gliomas and malignant tumors etc. All these conditions are dealt with using brain radiation. However, there is always a downside to radiation therapy. Given below are the various side effects, which may manifest as a result of long term or short term radiation therapy.

Side Effects of Brain Irradiation

Hair Loss
Hair loss is one of the first side effects that shows in a patient undergoing radiation therapy for brain cancer. Hair loss mostly begins to show after about two weeks of radiation. This hair loss does not follow any kind of pattern - it may be sudden and occurring only in the targeted region where the person is undergoing radiation therapy, or it may even occur all over the body. Hair usually falls in clumps and can often be very embarrassing and discomfiting for the patient. However, in most cases, after cessation of radiation therapy, the person manages to grow back the hair, unless the dosage of the radiation was so high that there is permanent damage to the hair bulbs.

Skin Problems
When a person undergoes radiation therapy, often in the region that the rays are targeted, the person has dry, itchy and flaky skin. The skin may even develop a red rash which resembles a sunburn and looks very unsightly. Skin rashes are mostly seen in the region where there is hair loss. If the radiation is given through the ears, then there may be irritation of the skin of the ears, which may even in serious cases, lead to excess build up of cells in that region.

Headaches
One of the most common side effects is severe and frequent headaches. Sometimes, as a result of radiation, there may be a swelling in the head which will result in a dull headache and a sensation of pressure in the head, similar to the symptoms which led the person to suspect the presence of a brain tumor. In cases of high radiation dosages for brain cancer, a headache may be accompanied by other serious symptoms, like difficulty in thinking clearly, memory loss, confusion and disorientation, change in the person's personality etc. In certain cases where the person has undergone radiation therapy through the ear, he or she may even experience slight hearing loss.

Other Problems
Other milder side effects include nausea, vomiting, change in appetite or loss of appetite and nausea, drowsiness, fatigue, irritability, decreased sex drive due to constant fatigue etc. Due to radiation therapy, a person's immunity may get severely compromised, which could make him highly susceptible to opportunistic infections, like candidiasis.

Long Term Side Effects
Long term brain radiation side effects are a lot more serious, as the person may develop radiation necrosis, where a large nidus of dead and necrosed cells forms at the site of radiation. This can occur months or even years after radiation therapy. Progressive memory loss may be seen in patients that have even stopped radiation therapy for a while. A patient may even develop hearing loss or eye injury resulting in blindness over a period of time. These are all serious side effects, which must be brought to the attention of the oncologist immediately.

It is important to note that all these side effects are not always seen in every patient. The severity of these side effects will depend on various factors, like the patient's threshold, the dosage of radiation, the frequency of radiation sessions etc. However, if the side effects of radiation therapy that the patient experiences are very grave, then they should be brought to the attention of the oncologist at the earliest so as to prevent any further complications.