Side effects of Radiotherapy in the Jaw
What is radiotherapy and why is it given and what are its side effects?
Radiotherapy, also known as radiation therapy, is a cancer treatment that uses high doses of radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Use it to cure cancer.
It is done to reduce the chance of the cancer coming back and to relieve the symptoms. Radiotherapy can be given internally or externally. And different types of radiotherapy use different types of radiation such as X-rays, electron beams, gamma rays, and proton beams.
Radiotherapy may be used in the early stages of cancer or after it has started to spread.
The type of radiation therapy recommended to you depends on the type and location of your cancer, as well as your general health and other treatments.
Radiotherapy can cause side effects in the treatment area,
like
- Dry mouth, change in taste.
- Red or scaly sores on the skin of the cheeks and tongue.
- Teeth become weak and break.
- Tightening (fibrosis) of the cheek muscles causing reduced mouth opening.
- Increased gum disease (pyorrhea).
- Strong teeth start to move.
- Oral infection can spread to other parts of the body through blood.
