We all know radiation isn’t good for you, and that it’s related to cancer. We try to avoid UV radiation by using sunscreen and protective clothing. We try to limit the amount of radiation-producing x-rays and other medical tests that we must take. We don’t like it when we’re forced to go through security screening at the airport that exposes us to radiation. We know that it’s all about accumulation-the more you get, the higher your risk.
What a dilemma, then, when you’re faced with needing radiation therapy to help treat your cancer. The doctor feels you need it to get rid of the cancer now. But will exposing yourself to the radiation treatment increase your chances of getting cancer again somewhere down the road? Unfortunately, the evidence says it does in some cases.
Radiation Uses High Energy to Kill
According to the National Cancer Institute, radiation therapy uses high-energy radiation to kill cancer cells by damaging their DNA. The problem is that it can damage normal cells at the same time. Radiologists do their best to minimize this damage by carefully targeting the treatment, but so far medical technology has no way to totally eliminate this peripheral damage.
Radiation side effects include skin damage and burns, hair loss, fatigue, nausea, and others, depending on which part of the body is treated. These effects usually fade after treatment is over, but other effects can appear later. They may include memory loss, fibrosis, infertility, and finally, in some cases, second cancers.
Radiation Increases Risk of Second Cancers
Science so far shows us that radiation treatments do increase the risk of a second cancer later in life. For example, girls who receive radiation to the chest for Hodgkin’s lymphoma have an increased risk of developing breast cancer later in life-about three to seven times the risk of those who never received radiation. Survivors of childhood cancer who received radiation have an increased risk of brain and spinal column tumors. Rare cancers like those of the bone and cartilage (sarcomas) have also been linked with prior radiation therapy, as have bladder cancers after earlier treatment for prostate cancer.
The lifetime risk of a second cancer is highest in people who were treated as children or adolescents. The risk goes down significantly for those treated after the age of 40. Most secondary malignancies occur 15–20 years after the initial radiation therapy.
Other Factors Involved in Developing Another Cancer
Like any cancer, a second cancer depends on many things-the intensity and duration of the radiation treatment, for instance. Longer, more powerful treatments carry a higher risk of later cancers. The area of the body treated seems to be a factor, as the breast, thyroid and lung seem more likely to be locations for additional cancers. Lifestyle habits like smoking can increase risk, as can family history, early menopause, and chemotherapy drugs.
Research continues in an effort to reduce the risk, but in the meantime, what can you do if you’re faced with this dilemma? Remember that though your risk of a second cancer may increase, it’s still just a risk, not a certainty. You may be able to reduce your personal risk by adopting healthy habits. Second, carefully weigh your options with your radiation oncologist, and be sure the benefit of radiation treatment outweighs the risk in your particular case. Then, make the decision you and your doctor feel is best for you.
“The benefits of cancer treatment far outweigh the real, but small, risk of developing another cancer,” says the Yale Medical Group.
Have you experienced a second cancer after going through radiation therapy? Please share your story.
Photo courtesy Veee ManR via Flickr.com.
