Things we were never told

  • 2 replies
  • 48 subscribers
  • 63 views

Late effects that you need to be aware of

That RT can cause hypothyroidism so you should have thyroid function monitored regularly

That RT can accelerate atheroma in the carotid arteries increasing risk of stroke so a Carotid Doppler might not be a bad idea at the start of treatment and three or four years later. 

That both chemo and RT can cause hearing issues ranging from tinnitus to partial deafness so a base line audiogram and another some time after treatment end is a good idea. 

Please add any others you can think of  

  • The biggest one for me was the potential to change my ability to eat which in my case was a huge thing. Trismus was never mentioned either and the need to do regular jaw exercises. It only came up when I mentioned the issue to my doctor. 

    Sophie66

  • Dear Beesuit, 

    Thank you for starting this thread. Extremely useful. 

    I would add fibrosis to the list. I had radiotherapy on my left tonsil and it affected the muscles of my neck (side of my cancer) and the stiffness is now also affecting my shoulder blade. I need to do regular exercice but also need to have some physiotherapy to help release the tension and the "knots" in my muscles. 

    Fab1