Oncologist in Kolkata Debunks Common Radiation Therapy Myths

Radiotherapy is a popular cancer treatment that is misinterpreted by many people. There are various advantages of utilising radiotherapy to treat cancer. It is non-invasive and retains the function of the organs. Radiotherapy is often used to treat cancers of the breast, brain, head and neck, prostate, bladder, cervix and uterus, skin, lung, oesophagus, and anus, as well as lymphomas. There are, nevertheless, some widespread misunderstandings or misconceptions concerning radiation. Here are a few examples, as listed by a well-known cancer doctorin Kolkata.

Myth 1: Radiation therapy is terribly unpleasant and  causes pain

Fact: This is a fallacy because radiations are employed to get rid of pain and discomfort. If the sickness is in the bone, soft tissue, or a lump, for example, doctors may use radiation to decrease the lump, which in turn reduces the discomfort.

Myth 2: I'll become radioactive as a result of radiation therapy

Fact: Patients frequently question doctors if radiation exposure can render them radioactivity, causing them to emit radio waves. This is a myth because radioactive waves only last 5-10 minutes in the human body during treatment. Once your treatment is finished, your body will return to normalcy. The radiation you get is absorbed by your bodily tissues, and there is no residual radiation, says the top oncologist in Kolkata. Staying with relatives and friends while undergoing radiation therapy is quite safe.

Myth 3: Hair loss is always a side effect of radiation therapy

Fact: It's a myth because not all radiotherapy treatment cause hair loss. For various treatments, one of the negative effects of radiation is hair loss. If any area of the brain is treated, for example, there is a possibility that hair will fall out, but it will grow back after a few months.

Myth 4: Radiation therapy will make you sick and make you vomit

Fact: Nausea and vomiting are site-specific. Patients may experience nausea depending on which part of their body has been exposed to radiation. For example, if the patient is undergoing radiation therapy on the stomach or pelvis, the radiation oncologist inKolkata may prescribe medications to help control nausea before the treatment begins. Except when delivered in conjunction with chemotherapy or directed to an abdominal location, radiation therapy does not cause nausea or vomiting.

Myth 5: It is dangerous for babies to be in the presence of radiation patients

Fact: This is one of the most popular patient myths. Patients believe that after undergoing radiotherapy, they will pass the radiation to the children with whom they have been in contact. This is a myth. As per the best radiation oncologist in Kolkata, once the radiation sessions are completed, the patients return to normalcy. They may spend time with their children because no radiation is transmitted.