Side effects of radiotherapy for cervical cancer

It’s usual to have slight vaginal bleeding or discharge once the radiotherapy treatment has ended. If it continues for more than a couple of weeks or becomes heavy it is important to let your doctor or nurse know.

Radiotherapy to the pelvic area can cause side effects such as tiredness, diarrhoea and a burning sensation when passing urine. These side effects can be mild or more troublesome depending on the strength of the radiotherapy dose and the length of your treatment. Your specialist will be able to advise you what to expect.

Most of these side effects can be treated with medicines. Your cancer specialist will be able to help you. Any side effects should gradually disappear once your treatment is over.

We have information about the early and late effects of pelvic radiotherapy in women| , and ways of dealing with them.

Diarrhoea Back to top

Diarrhoea is a possible side effect following radiotherapy to the pelvic area. It’s important to drink plenty of fluids if you experience this so that you don’t become dehydrated. If your diarrhoea is not controlled with medicines, let your doctor or nurse know.

Nausea Back to top

You may  feel sick| during treatment, but this is not common. If you don’t feel like eating, you can have nutritious  high-calorie drinks| instead of meals. The drinks are available from most chemists and can be prescribed by your GP. We have helpful tips on  eating well| when you feel ill, including tips for coping with eating problems| .

Sore skin Back to top

Your skin may get sore in the area being treated. Perfumed soaps, creams or deodorants may irritate the skin and should not be used during the treatment. Your radiographer or nurse can talk to you about taking care of your skin during this time.

Tiredness Back to top

Radiotherapy can make you very tired| . It’s important to get as much rest as you can, especially if you have to travel a long way for treatment each day.

Menopause Back to top

Unfortunately, radiotherapy for cancer of the cervix affects the ovaries. This will bring on the menopause (if you’ve not already been through it), usually about three months after the treatment starts. This means that your periods will stop and you will have menopausal side effects such as hot flushes, dry skin and possibly loss of concentration. Some women become less interested in sex and notice that their vagina is dry.

Sometimes radiotherapy causes a narrowing of the vagina, which can make sex uncomfortable. It can be very hard to cope with the prospect of an early menopause, but help is available to support you through this. For example, the menopausal side effects can be reduced by taking HRT (hormone replacement treatment) as tablets or skin patches. These can be prescribed by your gynaecologist during the radiotherapy treatment or shortly after it has ended. There is also psychological support from professionals and support groups. Coping with the effect on your fertility can be particularly difficult, especially if you have not yet started (or completed) your family.

Some women may have an operation before radiotherapy to reposition their ovaries lower in the abdomen out of the radiotherapy site. This is known as ovarian transposition and is usually carried out at the same time as initial surgery (if it’s thought radiotherapy will be needed afterwards). It prevents an early menopause as the ovaries are not affected by the radiotherapy treatment. It’s also possible to perform ovarian transposition through keyhole (laparoscopic) surgery.

 

Possible long-term side effects Back to top

Radiotherapy to the pelvic area can sometimes lead to long-term side effects (sometimes called late effects) but these are not common. Our information on  pelvic radiotherapy in women| discusses ways of dealing with these side effects. 

Effects on the bowel or bladder

In a small number of women, the bowel or bladder may be permanently affected by the radiotherapy. If this happens the increased bowel motions and diarrhoea may continue, or you may need to pass urine more often than before. The blood vessels in the bowel and bladder can become more fragile after radiotherapy treatment and this can cause blood in the urine or bowel movements. These effects can take many months or years to occur. If you notice any bleeding it’s important to let your doctor know so that tests can be done and appropriate treatment given.

Effects on the vagina 

Radiotherapy can make the tissue in the vagina lose some of its elasticity (stretchiness), which may make it narrower and shorter. This can make sexual intercourse difficult and painful. We have tips to help relieve vaginal pain and discomfort in our  sex and fertility| section.

Swelling of the legs (lymphoedema)

Some people find that the radiotherapy affects the lymph nodes in the pelvic area and cause swelling of the legs. This is known as lymphoedema and is more likely if you have had surgery as well as radiotherapy. Our section on  lymphoedema| discusses ways of reducing and coping with this effect.