“Is radiation therapy painful?”
My mother is getting radiation therapy for the remaining cancer cells underneath her armpit (she had surgery a few weeks ago and not all of the cells were removed). Is radiation therapy painful?
4 Answers
Radiation therapy itself is painless. It consists of invisible energy that is directed at a cellular level to kill cancer cells. Occasionally, it can result in a skin reaction to the treated area which can be painful. This is typically treated with topical creams and mild analgesics. Talk to your radiation oncology team for more information.
Not at the beginning. She may feel better if the tumor was causing pain or discomfort. After 3-4 weeks, she may feel some discomfort or irritation of skin because radiation causing sun burn in the skin folds.
Dr. Joshua N. Halpern
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation does not cause pain directly, but may cause a skin reaction similar to a sun burn, usually very mild. Radiation oncologists know how to handle that when it happens
Radiation therapy itself is not painful; think of it like a powerful X-ray. You don't feel anything when you get one of those. The side effects might be painful. These are limited to the area treated and build up over time. In your mom's case, I would imagine she would have some skin irritation that could lead to pain towards the end. I hope that helps.
