Heart damage from radiation

Hi Jayne,

I haven't started radiation yet but was told by the doctor that 10 years down the road I could have heart trouble. Three months after I could have shortness of breath indicating lung damage which heals. Also he said I could get a broken rib - I said how does that occur - he said radiation can soften the ribs temporarily making a break more likely. A friend said to me - well, don't do any moving of furniture etc. that you like to do!

All risks are very small, he added, like 1%, but are higher for the left breast because the heart is on the left side.

Supposedly new machines are much better designed to only radiate -mostly- what should get radiation and not much elsewhere.

I guess trust and optimism are needed!!

Good Luck, Jean

If you're serious about researching information about radiation side effects see below:
//cancernet.nci.nih.gov/peb/radiation/index.html
//www.emedicine.com/Neuro/topic330.htm
//spinwarp.ucsd.edu/NeuroWeb/text/br-840.htm
//www.tbts.org/treatment.htm
//www.cancerlinks.com/brain.html
//brain.mgh.harvard.edu/WomensTumors.htm
//www.umm.edu/nervous/brain.htm
//www.emedicine.com
//www.emedicine.com/neuro/Neuro-Oncology.htm
//www.virtualtrials.com/tourguide.cfm
//cancerguide.org/medline.html
//members.aol.com/afipinfo/xpcslab.html
//members.aol.com/afipinfo/critrevonchem.html
//rtsideffects.salu.net/learn.html
//hometown.aol.com/Sunny9652/indexRadiation.html
//www.med.jhu.edu/radiosurgery/williams/nf_williams.html
//www.baromedical.com/newsletter/hbosladearticle.html
//www.slip.net/~mcdavis/amifostn.html
//www.brain-tumour.net/neurosurgery/radiation/side1.htm
//jama.ama-assn.org/issues/v281n18/ffull/jlt0512-3.html
//www.ailments.com/ailments/radiationtherapy.html
//www.4tf.com/cancer.htm
//cancer.med.upenn.edu/specialty/ped_onc/radiation/hyperbr1.html
//hyperbaric-forum.com/
//www.merck.com/pubs/mmanual_home/sec15/166.htm
//nanonline.org/NANdistanCE/mtbi/Neurolll/toxic/radnecro.html
//www.thieme.com/thieme/casestudies/wcase10.pdf
//www.virtualtrials.org/levin/cfm
//www-personal.si.umich.edu/~jgourdji/treat.html
//www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?CMD=search&DB=PubMed
//www.orgsites.com/ca/acco/_pgg6.php3
//cancernet.nci.nih.gov/chemotherapy/chemoint.html
//www.cancerwise.org/facts_figures/ff_sideeffects.html

If not, take the chance????