Radiation can weaken your immune system forever although most cases of radiation therapy only weaken the immune system temporarily.
For most people that undergo radiation therapy will have minimal affects from the radiation therapy.
Radiation therapy involves giving the person high doses of radiation beams directly into the tumor.
The radiation beam of radiation therapy changes the DNA makeup of the tumor and causes it to either shrink or die.
Radiation therapy does have fewer side effects than chemotherapy since it only targets one area of the body.
After radiation, your immune system can stay suppressed for several months.
While newer research has been illuminating, much remains to be learned about the specific immune-system effects of cancer treatments.
Healthy cells that are damaged during radiation treatment usually recover within a few months after treatment is over.
But sometimes people may have side effects that do not improve.
Other side effects may show up months or years after radiation therapy is over.
These are called late effects.
After radiation therapy your skin might feel different to touch and your hair might grow back a different color or texture in the treatment area, you might have permanent hair loss within the treated area and you might develop red spidery marks on your skin (telangiectasia) caused by small broken blood vessels.
Some ways you can rebuild your immune system after radiation therapy include.
Eating a balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables.
Eliminating tobacco and avoiding alcohol.
Limiting stress.
Exercising regularly.
Sleeping 7 to 8 hours per night.
Doctors do not generally give radiation therapy twice due to severe adverse effects.
Receiving radiotherapy twice in certain areas of your body, such as the head and neck region, can lead to severe health complications, including internal hemorrhage, that may lead to death.
The life expectancy of men who received radiation treatment was 11.49 (95% CI 10.72–13.18) years at age 75, and 10.56 (95% CI 9.79–11.58) years at age 80.
Life expectancy was less than 10 years for men older than 80 years, reaching 9.46 (95% CI 7.73–11.44) years at age 82.
Although radiation therapy has saved the lives of countless cancer patients, it's not ideal for every person with cancer.
There are also some side effects of radiation therapy, although they usually go away after treatments end.
Surrounding healthy tissue or organs can be damaged, depending on their location to the tumor.