TITLE:
Nursing Interventions for Radiation Therapy Side Effects in Breast Cancer Patients
AUTHORS:
Marwan Abdualmajeed Manajreh, Yousaf Saleh Alawi, Bandar Al Qahtani, Amnah Farhan Aluneizi, Huda Sulaiman Alhawiti, Fatimah Swalim Al Daqiqi, Jensa Eleanor Lim, Abdullah Saeed Salem Alzahrani, Dari Abdalaziz Mahmoud Almahmoud, Majed Thuwahir Salem Albalawi, Waleed Rayif Bajjah Alr Ashidi
KEYWORDS:
Breast Cancer, Radiation Therapy, Side Effects, Nursing Intervention, Saudi Arabia
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Nursing,
Vol.15 No.11,
November
25,
2025
ABSTRACT: Background: Radiation therapy for breast cancer frequently leads to side effects such as fatigue, skin reactions, pain, lymphedema, sleep disturbances, and psychological distress. Nursing interventions, including evidence-based care, targeted skin management, education, and psychological support, are effective in reducing radiation therapy side effects and improving the quality of life for breast cancer patients. Objective: To assess the effectiveness of nursing interventions for breast cancer patients in reducing radiotherapy-related side effects. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Oncology, King Salman Armed Forces Hospital in the North Western region of Saudi Arabia. A total of 60 patients were included in the study. Patient selection was based on diagnosed patients with breast cancer who were planned to undergo radiotherapy. Nursing interventions were delivered through structured protocols targeting common side effects. These included patient education on evidence-based skin care regimens, counseling on fatigue management strategies, as well as early detection and management of lymphedema through education on arm care, compression therapy, and referral to physiotherapy when indicated. Fatigue was measured using the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI), and skin-related quality of life was assessed using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). All data were entered into SPSS version 25 for analysis. Results: In this study, the most commonly reported side effects among breast cancer patients receiving radiation therapy were skin irritation (93.3%), fatigue (91.6%), and lymphedema (53.3%). In this study, skin care interventions were effective in 62.8% of patients, fatigue management strategies in 66.7%, and for lymphedema in 60.9%, whereas psychological support interventions had the highest effectiveness, benefiting 75% of patients. A very weak negative correlation was seen between the DLQI score and the BFI score. Both these scores showed no significant difference in terms of age, stage of breast cancer, and duration of radiotherapy. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that the most frequent side effects experienced by breast cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy were skin irritation, followed by fatigue and lymphedema. Nursing interventions showed moderate to high effectiveness, particularly in addressing psychological symptoms, fatigue, skin issues, and lymphedema. However, shortcomings such as inadequate training, lack of standardized care protocols, and insufficient patient education and follow-up were observed.