Fearing a new medical treatment is a natural phenomenon. If the thought of radiation therapy is scaring you, let us clear some common misunderstandings that surround it. By the time we get done, you’d understand that radiotherapy is necessary, and there is nothing bad or harmful about it. And let’s not forget, it helps treat you.
Here are some debunked myths of radiotherapy treatment.
Myth 1: The radiation emitted during a screening mammography can develop breast cancer
Absolutely wrong. The radiation emitted during a screening mammography is very low. The amount is equivalent to the amount of radiation that you are exposed to from natural sources for about 7 weeks. So, this is no reason not to undergo radiation therapy.
Think of it this way too: if you don’t have a mammogram, potential symptoms wouldn’t be diagnosed. So, if you decide to skip mammogram, your risk increases.
Myth 2: Radiation can cause breast cancer to recur
Considering women who get breast cancers in an early stage, there is a 40% chance that the disease would recur. The risk is reduced to about 15% for whole breast radiation. The risk of recurring cancer due to radiation is around 0.01% to 0.1%, which is too small. And, this is reduced even more due to new techniques.
Myth 3: You are supposed to take a pill, and cover yourself with lead sheet
Medical radiation therapy is conducted in numerous ways. Yes, you may have to take a pill, but only if you have a particular case of thyroid cancer. Generally, you just have to lie down on a table, and you’re then exposed to radiation, similar to a standard X-ray procedure.
Lead shielding is not used because the exposed radiation is focused on a particular body part only.
Myth 4: Radiation treatments lead to pain
Actually no. The treatments are painless, but you may feel discomfort because of the position that you are in or the fact that your arm is raised. During the treatment, your skin may become warm and red, but that is normal. In rare cases, you may develop sunburn. This can cause pain, but your oncologist will prescribe medications and brief you about care.
Myth 5: Radiation therapy is associated with side effects
Radiation therapy does not cause hair loss on the head, or trigger nausea or vomiting. The only hair that are lost are those on your underarm, and in areas which is directly exposed to the radiation. If you are suffering from pancreatic or stomach cancer, then you may feel like vomiting. Similarly, if you receive radiation as part of your brain cancer treatment, then yes, you can lose hair, but otherwise, no.
Myth 6: Radiation therapy causes you to become radioactive
Only if you receive internal radiation. Most of the therapies involve external radiation, which does not make you radioactive at any instance. The emitted radiation doesn’t linger about, and until directly exposed, your tissues don’t receive any extra dose.
However, if you receive internal radiation, then yes, you would be radioactive as long as the materials are inside you. Doctors conduct this in a separate room, so you don’t cause any harm to people around you. Health tech companies like barrier tech provide health gear that gives radiation protection against radioactive waves. So you don’t need to feel fear while going for a scan.
