Radiotherapy to the pelvic area of a woman

Radiotherapy| treats cancer by using high-energy x-rays which destroy cancer cells, while doing as little harm as possible to normal cells. Radiotherapy to the pelvic area may cause long-term changes in the structures and organs in the pelvic area. In a woman this includes:

• the vagina
• womb (uterus)
• lining of the womb (endometrium)
• neck of the womb (cervix)
• the two ovaries
• two fallopian tubes
• the vulva (a woman’s external genital area)
• the bladder
• the urethra (the tube that drains urine from the bladder to the outside)

Parts of the digestive system may also be affected, including:

• the large bowel (colon and rectum)
• the small bowel (especially a part called the terminal ileum)
• the back passage (anus).

Other body parts in the pelvic area that may be affected by radiotherapy are:

• the pelvic bones
• some lymph nodes, also known as lymph glands