How long does it take to recover from radiotherapy on the brain?

Radiotherapy to the brain can cause short term side effects such as tiredness and sickness. These side effects usually improve a few weeks after treatment. You may also have long term side effects which can continue for a lot longer and sometimes might be permanent.

What are the side effects of radiation to the head?

Radiation to the brain can cause these short-term side effects:

Headaches.
Hair loss.
Nausea.
Vomiting.
Extreme tiredness (fatigue)
Hearing loss.
Skin and scalp changes.
Trouble with memory and speech.

Is radiation therapy for brain painful?

Avoid sun exposure, which can worsen the irritation. Some short-term memory loss and difficulty thinking can occur if you are treated with whole-brain radiation therapy. Brain tissue swelling can develop during treatment. You may get a headache or feel pressure in your head if this occurs.

How long can you live after brain radiation?

Survival analysis The median survival with brain metastases was 4.43 months, ranging from 0.73 months to 78.53 months. The one-year OS rates did not differ significantly between sexes: 44% for men versus 20% for women (p=0.91).

How many radiation treatments do you need for a brain tumor?

You usually have one treatment (fraction) a day, from Monday to Friday, for between 3 to 6 weeks. This means that you have between 15 and 30 treatments of radiotherapy in total. You might have radiotherapy to help with symptoms or slow down the growth of your tumour.

How many times can you have radiation on the brain?

Whole-brain radiation applies radiation to the entire brain in order to kill tumor cells. People undergoing whole-brain radiation usually require 10 to 15 treatments over two to three weeks. Side effects may include fatigue, nausea and hair loss.

Can a tumor grow after radiation?

Normal cells close to the cancer can also become damaged by radiation, but most recover and go back to working normally. If radiotherapy doesn’t kill all of the cancer cells, they will regrow at some point in the future.

What is radiotherapy for head and neck cancers?

Radiation therapy (RT) plays a key role in curative-intent treatments for head and neck cancers. Its use is indicated as a sole therapy in early stage tumors or in combination with surgery or concurrent chemotherapy in advanced stages.

Are there alternative radiotherapy delivery schedules for head and neck cancer?

Attempts to improve the treatment outcomes for head and neck cancers have led to the development of alternative radiotherapy delivery schedules. During the past two decades, two dominant altered fractionation schedules—hyperfractionation and accelerated fractionation—have been under study.

What are the possible complications of radiation therapy for head and neck cancer?

*Acute complications – A therapeutic dose of radiation in head and neck cancer usually comprises a total of 64 Gy to 70 Gy in 32–35 fractions with the daily dose of 1.8–2.0 Gy/fraction. Acute complication appears 1–2 weeks after radiation starts, it depends on dose and site of radiation also.[6] Oropharyngeal mucositis[7]

What is the role of radiotherapy in the treatment of cancer?