Radiation Treatment

[ljbd03]

Hi.. Surgery is over - I've meet with an oncologist and a radiation oncologist so now I'm into week three of radiation treatments - things are going OK.  

Is it all in my head or should I push to have a nausea issue dealt with?  I am also having shoulder pain, left side where treatment is being done, this is continued weakning of the shoulder with no injury to that area.  My cancer was Stage 1, NO, MO.  

Since week two of radiation, I've been feeling nauseas.  This feeling comes and goes through out the day and into the evening.  It is strongest in the morning when I am getting ready for work.  shoulder has just gotten worse and worse over the weeks of treatment - it was fine prior to treatments.

Now it could be all anxiety induced, who wouldn't be anxious going through radiation :), when I talked to a doctor within the office, she just told me I was wrong and that radiation treatments don't make you nauseas or cause joint pain.  So she did nothing regarding my ill feeling.  

Thanks!  

[rayonc]

You should not have nausea from the effects of radiation.  You may have shoulder discomfort--not from radiation, but from the positioning of your arm during treatment.  You may try wall walking excerises to help with arm mobility.  Both waking you arm up a wall in front of and on the side of your body.  If you have had an axillary node dissection or sampling it is not uncommon to have some discomfort.  If it does not improve with simple exercises physicial therapy may help.  It is important to keep using you arm.  When you are on the treatment table think of the radiation as "healing rays"  and this may help with some of the anxiety.  Good Luck

[CCF-RN,MSN-rf]

Dear ljbd03:  With the exception of fatigue, the side effects of radiation therapy are directly related to the area being radiated.  Nausea and shoulder pain are not common side effects of radiation to the breast, but it is possible that there is a relationship.   Shoulder pain may be related to the recent surgery or to positioning on the table for the radiation treatment.  If these symptoms are ongoing, they need to be investigated as to the cause - and then treatment.  You might let your medical oncologist know about your symptoms to see if appropriate treatment recommendations can be made.