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.

As you may know, radiation can often leave the skin red, irritated, and burned. Sometimes the wounds take several weeks to heal. Most current medications that help prevent skin problems can also reduce the effectiveness of radiation.

So researchers at the Catholic University and the National Research Council in Italy wondered if the antioxidants found in red wine might help. Out of about 350 women, those who drank wine on treatment days had lower rates of skin toxicity than those who didn’t. In fact, the toxicity effects were reduced up to 75 percent. (Wow!) The best news? The patients didn’t have to drink too much—just one glass in those who received the most benefit—and the wine didn’t reduce the effectiveness of the radiation therapy.

We’ve already talked about the health benefits of red wine’s resveratrol—a potent antioxidant—in another post. And this isn’t the first time that red wine has been found to be beneficial in combination with radiation therapy. Other studies by University of Rochester scientists found that red wine makes cancer cells more susceptible to radiation therapy, and normal cells more resistant. For instance, when pancreatic cancer cells—typically highly resistant to chemotherapy—were pre-treated with resveratrol, then irradiated, the combination induced “apoptosis,” a particular kind of cell death that is usually the goal of cancer treatment.

“If wine can prevent radiation-induced toxicity without affecting antitumor efficacy,” said Italian-study author Dr. Vincenzo Valentini, “it also has the potential to enhance the therapeutic benefits in cancer patients without increasing their risk of serious adverse effects.”

If you’d like to try red wine on your treatment days, ask your doctor. Another option might be to consume red or purple grape juice, which also contains antioxidants from grapes (including resveratrol). You may also consider resveratrol supplements, preferably in liquid or juice form since the antioxidant is best absorbed by the lining of the mouth.

Have you found red wine to help with cancer therapy? Please share your story.

Photo courtesy Stephane Daoust Pixelographe via Flickr.com.

Let’s address the difficult problem of radiation burns. The skin is so fragile, tender and inflamed, that even clothing rubbing against it can be too painful. Radiation burns (or radiation dermatitis) can range from very mild to serious, and involve damage to the outer layer of skin (or occasionally, the inner tissue) due to the high frequency energy of ionizing radiotherapy used for cancer treatment.

The medical and diagnostic usage of X-rays or radiation actually causes skin cells to die, and therefore leads to red areas of skin that resemble a sunburn, and sometimes develop blisters or open sores that can be oozing and gooey. Burns can become increasingly severe depending upon the repeated frequency of radiation treatment, or the amount targeted at a specific area of the body.

Here are a few things you can do to try to minimize the amount of damage to irradiated areas. To begin with, try preparing for radiation treatment weeks in advance by moisturizing. (We like natural formulas like Burt’s Bees Honey and Shea Body Butter.) Target areas 2–3 weeks ahead of time, and hydrate your body (and skin) by drinking plenty of water. Damage to the skin from radiation treatment typically occurs 1–2 weeks after treatment begins, and usually resolves itself 2 weeks after radiation ends. While undergoing radiation, the treated area may start to get pink or red, dry and irritated, or start looking like a burn or suntan.

Remember the following tips when undergoing your treatment (provided by the National Cancer Institute): Take lukewarm showers or baths, avoid activities that rub the skin, and never using anything on the skin that is extremely hot or cold (like heating pads or ice packs). Wear loose, light-weight clothing that allows plenty of room for air to reach the affected area, and avoid scratching or touching the region whenever possible.

Some women who have radiation for breast cancer following a lumpectomy may find that cotton bras are the most comfortable. (For more information on dressing your body after surgery or treatments, please read “Fashion After Breast Cancer.“) It’s especially crucial to avoid sun exposure, wear protective clothing, and use a chemical-free, mineral-based sunblock on radiation burns. (For some sun-block suggestions, please read our post “Photosensitivity: How Can We Protect Ourselves During Chemotherapy?,” or click here for Dr. Weil’s advice on treating serious burns.) To read our post on our top toxin-free products to help you cool and soothe radiation burns, click here.

* Please share your experiences with radiation treatments and what you have used to alleviate the pain from the burns.

Photo Courtesy of Preston Hunt’s Hodgkins Journal.