While radiation therapy saves millions of lives every year, it can also cause serious late term effects, months or even years after the radiation therapy has taken place. Many times, so much time has passed between the radiation therapy and the onset of symptoms, that patient and their doctors may not make a connection between the radiation treatment and their current health issues.
There is no way to know who will experience late term effects and they vary depending on the type of cancer and types of treatment being utilized. Children treated with radiation therapy are at risk for additional late side effects because their bones, tissues and organs are growing during their treatment.
“Patients undergoing radiation treatment should talk to their doctor about the possible late effects that are associated with any treatment regimen,” said Dr. Juan Bravo, Co-Medical Director at the Center for Wound Care & Hyperbaric Medicine at Coral Springs Medical Center. “In some cases doctors will know what effects their patients are at risk of, but unfortunately the late effects of many treatments still aren’t known.”Some late side effects experienced by adult and childhood cancer survivors include:
· Non healing wounds
· Bleeding from bladder or bowel
· Tooth decay and cavities
· Loss of bone mass in areas such as the mandible with loss of teeth
· Dry mouth/loss of taste
· Non-healing surgical wounds to areas previously irradiated
Knowing what to look for down the road can help patients and their families better understand and recognize future medical symptoms as late effects of radiation cancer treatment.
Treating Late Term Radiation Effects with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Fortunately for patients suffering from the often debilitating effects of later-term radiation, thanks to hyperbaric oxygen therapy, there is hope. It is a treatment option for many patients who had little hope of recovering from late term effects of radiation therapy.
“By increasing the oxygen in the blood through exposure to pure oxygen in a hyperbaric chamber, patients are able to stimulate the growth of new blood vessels to replace those affected by radiation damage,” said Dr Juan Bravo. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has a long history of success in treating or preventing damage to the jaw bone resulting from radiation treatment and has been used to treat radiation-induced damage to the head, neck, chest wall, abdomen and pelvis.
