Testicular Cancer Radiation Side Effects

The objective of radiation therapy for testicular cancer is to kill cancer cells for a maximum probability of cure with a minimum of side effects.

Testicular cancer radiation side effects.

Eau guidelines on testicular cancer. The treatment of testicular cancer often uses lower radiation doses than those needed for other types of cancer. Because testicular cancer tends to occur in younger men 18 to 39 is the typical age range and because of the lingering effects of platinum treatment survivors are at risk for adverse treatment effects for a much longer time than those who get cancer later in life. Radiation therapy may be recommended after surgery to remove your testicle.

Side effects tend to start a few days after the radiotherapy begins. Current radiotherapy techniques such as conformal radiotherapy and intensity modulated radiotherapy imrt accurately shape the radiotherapy beams to fit the cancer. Radiation therapy is a treatment option that s sometimes used in people who have the seminoma type of testicular cancer. Survival rates for testicular cancer are very high but many patients are diagnosed in their 20s and 30s so having chemotherapy means they may have to live with long term side effects the.

Side effects may include nausea and fatigue as well as skin redness and irritation in your abdominal and groin areas. Radiation therapy has side effects because it not only kills or slows the growth of cancer cells it can also affect nearby healthy cells. Talk to your doctor about long term side effects you should watch for. This means less healthy tissue receives radiation and so there are fewer side effects.

Many people who get radiation therapy experience fatigue. Long term side effects of radiation in treating testicular cancer. P albers and others. European association of urology 2016.

Radiotherapy when aimed near the kidneys can cause renal failure a state in which the kidneys are not capable of filtering waste from the body. Common side effects can include. Radiotherapy is more accurate than it has ever been. High doses of radiation kills the healthy blood vessels and drops the blood count.

Learn more about possible side effects. Other side effects depend on the part of the body that is being treated. But there is a small risk that your remaining testicle could get a dose of radiation. Radiation therapy can affect nearby healthy tissue along with the cancer cells.

They gradually get worse during the treatment. Damage to blood vessels. Some may last for a few weeks to months but others can last the rest of your life.