Content Overview
- Summary
- What External Beam Radiation Is
- Steps To Take Before Treatment Begins
- What Happens During A Planning Session Before Your First Radiation Treatment
- What Happens During A Radiation Treatment
- What To Do And Not Do While You Undergo Radiation
- Side Effects From External Radiation: During Treatment
- Side Effects From Radiation: After Treatment Ends
- Before Your First External Radiation Treatment
External-Beam Radiation
Steps To Take Before Treatment Begins
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- Schedule a dental check up. Oral infections can worsen the effects of radiation.
- Speak with your cancer doctor about possible oral complications from your treatment and what, if anything, your dentist should focus on prior to treatment.
- Get an examination of your mouth, teeth and jawbone to check for potential problems that may arise during treatment. Tell the dentist you are about to have treatment for lung cancer and tell him or her the treatment(s) you have agreed to.
- Mention to your dentist the risks for oral complications your doctor told you about.
- If you have issues that could become a problem during treatment, take care of them now. Find out from your dentist how much time is needed for your mouth to heal properly. It is preferable for healing to be complete before treatment begins.
- If your doctor recommends that you speak with a dental oncologist (a dentist who is trained in dental and oral care for people with cancer): Use the same technique to find the right dental oncologist as is recommended for choosing any medical specialist. See “To Learn More.” You can locate a dental oncologist through any of the following:
- A referral from your cancer doctor.
- National Cancer Institute www.cancer.gov or Tel.: 800.422.6237.
- National Comprehensive Cancer Network, www.nccn.org , or Tel.: 215.690.0300.
- Find out if there are any medications, supplements, herbs or vitamins you take that should be discontinued during treatment. If there are, check with the doctor who prescribed them to let him or her know what is happening and find out if you should be doing something else during treatment.
- Learn about the side effects that frequently occur with radiation and how to eliminate or minimize them. Get prescriptions for medications that may minimize or help you cope with such side effects. Prescriptions don't cost anything until you have them filled. If you have the prescriptions, you can fill them without delay if the need arises.
- If you smoke, use the treatment as a trigger to stop.
- Stopping can help improve the body’s response to treatment, and lessen complications and side effects.
- If you quit permanently, stopping can decrease the risk of recurrence and enhance survival.
- If you are constantly exposed to second hand smoke, it is the same as smoking. Distance yourself from the smoke.
- If you use recreational drugs, let your doctor know. They may interfere with treatment.
- If you want to have children in the future, ask if a treatment could affect your ability to have them. If so, consider banking your sperm before the treatment starts.
- Consider taking a tour of the area where radiation will be administered and any other location where you will be spending time. This way you will know what to expect. You'll also get a better idea of what to bring with you to make yourself comfortable.
- Think about how you will get to and fromtreatment. If needed, American Cancer Society can help arrange transportation with its group of volunteer drivers. Call 800.ACS.2345. The more notice you give the Society, the more likely it can find a volunteer to fill your needs. The Society can also point you to available public transportation in your area.
- It may make it easier for you if you line up a family member or friend to go with you to the first treatment. After that it may be easier if you go to treatments alone. Going alone makes going for treatment more like going to a standard doctor's appointment. You will likely find other people going through the same treatment with whom to have an informal support group.
- Speak with the radiologist about creams to purchase to reduce possible skin soreness. Test a small amount to be sure you don't have any adverse effects.
- If you are uncomfortable in institutional hospital gowns, consider creating your own or purchasing one that will be more comfortable than the one supplied by the facility. You can find gowns online(for example, through www.healingthreads.com ) or create your own. For a pattern, see the document in To Learn More.
- Ask your doctor about changes to start making in your diet to build your system with nutrients that the treatment may affect. The doctor may recommend you speak with a nutritionist/dietitian. Perhaps you should also be taking a multi-vitamin and/or supplements.
- Stock up on your comfort foods, including some in your freezer that you can defrost as needed. When you freeze foods for this period, make the portions smaller than usual for those occasions when you don't feel like eating a lot.
- If you have children, and haven't told them yet about your condition and/or treatment, now is the time to do it in an age sensitive manner. See the document in "To Learn More."
Last, but not least, check your health insurance to determine how much, if at all, you will be out of pocket and start thinking about how to pay those costs.. If you don't have health insurance, start thinking about how to pay for the treatment. For information about these subjects, see the documents in "To Learn More."
To Learn More
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