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Radiotherapy |
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Radiotherapy is a localised treatment and side effects depend on the area of your body receiving the X-rays (in your case the abdomen and pelvis). There are two types of side effects; those which come on during or immediately after treatment (acute side effects) and those which can be long term (late side effects). Your oncologist will have taken these into account when considering the benefits of treatment and will inform you of the side effects you are likely to get.
This information sheet provides a brief introduction to radiotherapy and explains the common side effects you may experience. This does not mean you will definitely get them. It is also possible you may experience a side effect not mentioned here. Your first appointment The simulator The treatment machine Additional general information
Acute side effects You may feel tired so it is important to get plenty of rest. Your bowels may become loose later in the treatment, possibly causing diarrhoea. If this happens, cut down your intake of fruit, vegetables and fibre and try to increase your intake of eggs, milk and other dairy products. Report any diarrhoea to the doctor or radiographer as it may be necessary for you to have tablets. Take these until the diarrhoea improves and then reduce them. Your bowels should have returned to normal 2-3 weeks after treatment. You can then gradually re-introduce fibre into your diet until you are back on a normal diet *** You should continue with your normal diet unless you begin to get diarrhoea. You may experience pain on opening your bowels (rectal pain). Occasionally this may be associated with some blood in the stools. If your bladder is in the treatment area, you may experience a feeling of wanting to pass urine more often (cystitis). It is still possible to develop a urinary tract infection so drink plenty of fluids and report any burning feeling, on passing urine, to your doctor. A feeling of nausea or sickness may occur during treatment. Report any nausea or vomiting to your doctor as your symptoms can be relieved with anti-sickness tablets. For larger treatment areas you will be given an anti-sickness tablet to prevent nausea. Your skin in the treated area may become red and sore, especially in the skin creases. You take a shower during your treatment but it is not advisable to sit and soak in a hot bath Avoid rubbing with a towel or scratching. If any soreness develops report this to the radiographer who will give you advise. Potential late side effects In males fertility may be affected, depending on the dose received. If relevant, sperm banking will be discussed with you. In women fertility will be affected if the dose to the ovaries is high. On no account must you be or get pregnant during radiotherapy as this will severely damage the baby. Radiotherapy may bring on, or reduce the time to, your menopause the specific risks of this will be discussed before treatment. Further general information Your doctors and specialist nurses are in an ideal position to give you relevant information on your disease and treatment as they know your individual circumstances. Cancerbackup has a help line (0808 800 1234) and a prize winning video available in English, Italian, Urdu, Bengali, Gujarati & Hindi explaining Radiotherapy & Chemotherapy. Cancernet.co.uk has over 500 pages describing cancer, its management, practical tips and tool which patients, their carers and their doctors have found helpful during the cancer journey. |