Carolina Regional Cancer Center Welcomes News as Affiliate, Musc Hollings Cancer Center, Receives Prestigious Designation by National Cancer Institute

Carolina Regional Cancer Center (CRCC), affiliated with the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Hollings Cancer Center (HCC), announced today that HCC recently received designation by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) as one of the top cancer research centers in the country. HCC is one of only 64 other can... [read more]

CRCC Launches New Web Site

The Carolina Regional Cancer Center (CRCC) today announced the redesign and launch of its new Web site, www.crccmd.com, which provides a wide variety of information surrounding one of the region’s leading radiation oncology centers.  Along with improvements that make the site easie... [read more]

Lung Cancer Side Effects

Potential side effects which can go along with chest radiation treatments include esophagitis, which is a temporary irritation of the swallowing tube (esophagus). This can develop if a portion of the esophagus is being treated. It presents itself as a heartburn-type feeling or possibly discomfort or pain when the patient swallows.

Again, this is a temporary side effect and responds well to certain medications and subsides once the treatments are completed. It is also possible to develop a mild cough during the treatments; however, that again is usually a temporary side effect and subsides once the treatment is completed. The above side effects do not occur in every patient and can vary in their severity.

The radiation therapy is often given along with the chemotherapy because studies have indicated that, oftentimes, the combination of the two work much better than either one alone. But again, how they are delivered will strongly depend on the stage of the patient's disease.