Brain Tumor Swelling After Radiation
Edema is a condition in which fluid builds up in your body s tissues.
Brain tumor swelling after radiation. Some short term memory loss and difficulty thinking can occur if you are treated with whole brain radiation therapy. It can make your symptoms worse for a time. Doctors call this oedema. Acute reactions occur immediately after treatment and are caused by radiation induced brain swelling edema.
Some of these side effects can happen because radiation has caused the brain to swell. It will regrow on its own. Brain metastases or secondary brain tumors occur in 10 to 30 percent of adults with cancer. This can be frightening because you might think the radiotherapy isn t working.
Per an mri i was told it was brain swelling after the fact from radiation and that it is not that uncommon. Skin and scalp changes. Learn about signs of edema including swelling in your feet ankles and legs. Radiotherapy to the brain causes a short term swelling in the treatment area which raises the pressure in the brain.
The swelling may be caused by chemotherapy cancer and conditions not related to cancer. You dose may be changed as needed during your treatment. Brain metastases occur when cancer cells spread from their original site to the brain. Any cancer can spread to the brain but the types most likely to cause brain metastases are lung breast colon kidney and melanoma.
The health care team watches for signs of this problem and may prescribe medications to decrease swelling. Radiation necrosis which is the death of brain tissue at or near the treatment site. This is truly the med from hell. Radiation to the brain can cause these short term side effects.
Cancer that spreads to the brain is usually treated with radiosurgery highly focused radiation with a tool such as the gamma knife followed by less intense radiation to the whole brain. Extreme tiredness fatigue hearing loss. Swelling in the brain hair loss near the treated area if close to the scalp. Medicines are usually given to prevent brain swelling but it s important to let your cancer care team know about headaches or any other symptoms.
Trouble with memory and speech. When your doctor decides it is safe you will be given a schedule to gradually reduce the dose of the medication. Take steroids only as directed by your doctor. Brain tissue swelling can develop during treatment.
You may get a headache or feel pressure in your head if this occurs. Steroids reduce brain swelling from the tumor itself or from the effects of radiation therapy.