The short-term and long-term complications are unusual but sometimes do happen. Because of this, it is important for you to know about any potential problems. Your doctor will talk to you about the potential of these risks happening in your particular case. These potential problems include:

Common issues:

• Permanent loss of hair under the arm on the side of treatment

• Darker skin or change in the feeling of the breast.
  The skin of your treated breast may appear to have a slightly darker pigment or feel a bit firmer than the nontreated breast

• Radiation will not increase your risk of a swollen arm unless you receive treatment to the lymph node area

Rare issues:

• A nerve injury called brachial plexopathy on the treated side. This appears as a sensation of pins and needles in the affected arm and possibly some weakness. It may occur with radiation to the lymph nodes

• Irritation of the lung called pneumonitis. This is like pneumonia but is treated differently. It is not caused by infection

• A rib fracture sometime in the future. The ribs under your breast will receive some dose of radiation during your treatment. This can make the bone more brittle. The rib wonÕt usually break on its own. It usually happens if you have an accident like take a fall or have a car accident.

• Development of a rare cancer called sarcoma many years in the future.

• Cancer in the opposite breast. Some particles of the radiation will touch your other breast. This is called scatter. The dose of radiation your other breast will receive is minimal

• Development of lung cancer. The risk of this is reduced if you do not smoke.