Aug

What are the Short Term Side Effects of Radiotherapy for Penile Cancer Patient

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Cancer, Effects, Patient, Penile, Radiotherapy, Short, Side, Term

What are the Short Term Side Effects of Radiotherapy for Penile Cancer Patient

Cancer of the penis requires a delicate system of balancing between surgery and radiotherapy. Efforts are made to try and reduce the side effects of radiotherapy as well as ensuring that the patient fully and safely recovers from the diseases and the treatment as well. Short term side effects of radiotherapy for penile cancer commence with your treatment. However, they continue for a week or two immediately the treatment has stopped. Side effects of radiotherapy for penile cancer usually depend on area of the body where radiotherapy was performed. A patient might develop problems in the bladder if radiotherapy was done on the pelvis. A successful radiotherapy will experience short term side effects as explained below.

The first one is tiredness which is quite common with radiotherapy. As the treatment goes on you will notice that you get more and more tired. Your body feels full of fatigue and you actually feel like you would collapse in the next one minute if there is no respite. The treatment itself sometimes sucks all the energy from your body leaving you drained, strained and very tired. Travelling to and from, back and forth to the hospital partly causes the tiredness. Monotony is also tiring as radiotherapy is not a one moment event. However it is always necessary to rest if you feel the urge or the need to. Have no fears just rest. It would be to your advantage if you got some form of physical exercise every day, however mild or gentle it would be. Cancer gives you fatigue and sometimes you will just feel like lying down and do nothing else. Maybe that is just what you need to overcome short term side effects of radiotherapy for penile cancer.

Sore skin can afflict you and your skin could get infected once this happens. It is important to note that your skin can become sore with radiotherapy. The skin surrounding the penis is quite sensitive. It can go to extreme soreness during these period of radiotherapy treatment. If you have an ulcer, or experience any form of discharge or your skin starts to break down, inform your radiotherapist, nurse or your doctor immediately. Do not wash the skin as it would only make the soreness worse. Plain water in combination with simple soaps like baby soap is the best remedy when washing the area. Do not rub the area, gently and softly pat with a soft and tender towel until the skin is dry. Any form of medicated or perfumed soap or cream that has not been discoed and given an okay by your radiotherapist, radiotherapy nurse, or your specialist should be avoid altogether. It helps you to overcome the short term side effects of radiotherapy for penile cancer more quickly.

Swelling of the penis is a problem associated with the short term side effects of radiotherapy for penile cancer. It is a swelling that can cause pain as the penis becomes inflamed and swollen. There is no need to be alarmed as the swelling goes down once you are through with the treatment. However always inform your nurse, radiographer or doctor once the swelling develops pain. A prescription of painkillers takes care of it.