Whole brain radiotherapy side effects

Side effects from Whole brain radiotherapy include: leukoencephalopathy and cognitive decline; see Radiation injury and necrosis. The frequency of side effects may ¹⁾ or may not ²⁾ be higher at higher XRTdoses.

Extreme tiredness (fatigue)

Hearing loss

Skin and scalp changes

Trouble with memory and speech

Seizures

Some of these side effects can be caused by swelling of the brain from the radiation. Medicines are usually given to prevent brain swelling, but it’s important to let your doctor know about headaches or any other symptoms. Delayed effects (usually 1 or 2 years later) of whole-brain radiation may be caused by death of brain tissue. These delayed effects can include serious problems such as memory loss, stroke-like symptoms, and poor brain function.

Intracerebral hemorrhages are not uncommon in adult brain tumor patients undergoing radiation therapy. The incidence and number of intracerebral hemorrhages increased over the course of follow-up. T2 hyperintense WMLs were observed in more than one-third of the study population ³⁾.

¹⁾

Shaw E, Arusell R, Scheithauer B, O'Fallon J, O'Neill B, Dinapoli R, Nelson D, Earle J, Jones C, Cascino T, Nichols D, Ivnik R, Hellman R, Curran W, Abrams R. Prospective randomized trial of low- versus high-dose radiation therapy in adults with supra- tentorial low-grade glioma: initial report of a North Central Cancer Treatment Group/Radiation Therapy Oncology Group/Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group study. J Clin Oncol. 2002; 20:2267–2276

²⁾

Laack NN, Brown PD, Ivnik RJ, Furth AF, Ballman KV,HammackJE,ArusellRM,ShawEG,BucknerJC. Cognitive function after radiotherapy for supraten- torial low-grade glioma: a North Central Cancer Treatment Group prospective study. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2005; 63:1175–1183

³⁾

Yoo DH, Song SW, Yun TJ, Kim TM, Lee SH, Kim JH, Sohn CH, Park SH, Park CK, Kim IH, Choi SH. MR Imaging Evaluation of Intracerebral Hemorrhages and T2 Hyperintense White Matter Lesions Appearing after Radiation Therapy in Adult Patients with Primary Brain Tumors. PLoS One. 2015 Aug 31;10(8):e0136795. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0136795. eCollection 2015. PubMed PMID: 26322780.