Side Effects of Brain Cancer Treatment

Brain cancer treatment is a complex process which may result in many side effects and after affects.  The side effects generally vary with the treatment plan for example the side effects of surgery may be different from the side effects of chemotherapy.  The side effects also depend upon the overall health status of the patient.  For some of the patients, the side effects may be severe while for some of them, the side effects are not that serious. It is important to know how to deal with the side effects of brain cancer treatment when they occur and one must also know how to identify them.

side effects of brain cancer treatment

 

The following are some of the side effects of brain cancer treatment:

  • In the case of those who have got a surgery done for treatment of brain cancer, the possible side effects are changes in brain function such as mental changes, decrease in the overall brain controlled function and even weakness of the brain muscles.  Infact, even the combination of all of these side effects may occur.  But the good news is that these side effects reduce in intensity over a period of time but in some rare cases, the side effects may never go.
  • Another treatment used for brain cancer treatment is chemotherapy.  Some of the side effects of chemotherapy include vomiting, nausea, extreme loss of energy and even hair loss.  In some cases, the immune system is also affected due to chemotherapy and this can lead to high chances of being affected by infections. Some of the other side effects of chemotherapy to treat brain cancer include damage to reproductive organs and kidneys.  While some side effects go over time, some may never go at all.
  • Radiation therapy is another treatment for brain cancer and this may also result in some side effects. The possible side effects of radiation therapy are hair loss, skin problems, other hair issues and darkened and reddish skin.
  • Some other side effects of treatment of brain cancer are problems in thinking clearly, poor memory, confusion, difficulty in managing tasks, changes in personality, headaches, migraines which might come and go.
  • In some cases, there are certain hormone level changes as well.
  • In very rare cases, some people tend to develop another brain cancer or tumor as well either after many years or after some period of time.  This happens because although radiation kills cancer cells, it may also create a risk factor for developing them.

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