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Radiation to Brain

Radiation to the brain is used for treatment of either primary brain tumor or brain metastasis which is a situation where the cancer has spread from its original site and has traveled via the blood stream into the brain. In most cases the medical oncologist will start patients on steroids , such as Dexamethasone. Patients will  then require a course of radiation treatment that will last several weeks. In most cases, the whole brain will be treated with radiation and sometime later on the radiation will be combed down or boosted to the specific tumor or metastatic focus in the brain.

Radiation to the brain is usually well tolerated by most patients; however patients will have side effects. The most common side effects are:

Hair loss, also know as Alopecia. The hair loss does not begin when radiation is first started. Usually, it begins two or three weeks later. In some cases, the hair loss is permanent; however, in most cases it is not permanent and the hair will grow back within several months.

Nausea and/or vomiting which can also be indicative of increased pressure in the brain. The medical oncologist or radiation oncologist will be in charge of adjusting patient's medication in order to control these side effects.