Table 3.

Side effects and its effects on health related quality of life mentioned by HPs and patients.

	Health care professionals	Patients
Short-term side effects
Skin toxicity	Skin reaction (redness, light burning, itching and sometimes open) (dark) Skin discolouration Small blood vessels Radiation dermatitis Erythema, epidermolysis	Skin open Skin burns Redness
Fatigue	Tiredness	Tiredness
Short- and long-term side effects
Oedema	(Lymph-) Oedema Only mentioned in the case of regional radiation	Oedema
Pain	Pain Painful stabbing feeling Feeling of tightness Painful muscle	Pain Sensitivity of the breast Permanent burning sensation
Long-term effects
Fibrosis or change in breast shape	Fibrosis of chest wall) Scarring, scar tissue formation, leading to nipple transposition Connective tissue formation Fibrosis with pain and changes in shape and contour, shrinking, asymmetry Change in texture	Malformation Deformation Scarring
Consequences for breast reconstruction	Consequences for reconstruction	Consequences for reconstruction
Problems for ribs/chest wall	Painful ribs Rib complaints Rib fractures	Side effects affecting the ribs
Heart toxicity	Heart toxicity Heart almost no longer an issue	Disadvantageous for the heart Heart problems No heart problems
Lungs	Lung problems almost not seen now Radiation pneumonitis Lung fibrosis Secondary lung tumour (if smoker)	Increased risk for lung cancer (if smoker)
Second cancer	Second tumours (minority)
Mobility limitations	Reduced mobility of shoulder Reduced mobility due to regional radiation	Reduced arm mobility
Swallowing complaints/oesophagus regional	Swallowing complaints/in case of regional RT
Other	Changes in the effects if also chemotherapy given