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Macmillan and Cancerbackup merged in 2008. Together we provide free, high quality information for people affected by cancer through our publications, website and phone service. Find out more|.
Find out how we produce our information|
After treatment you may still have some physical effects to cope with. How quickly things improve will depend on the treatment you’ve had and also on your age and general health.
You may find that you recover quite quickly and get back to doing the things you did before. But sometimes people have physical effects that take longer to improve or that are permanent. If this is the case for you, it’s important to give yourself time to adjust and to pace yourself.
Some people have body changes or physical effects as a result of treatment. These may be mild so the following information may not be relevant for you. We’ve listed some of the effects you may experience:
It can take time to adjust if you’ve had a part of your body removed (such as a breast or a limb) to treat the cancer. People who’ve had an operation that results in an artificial opening such as a colostomy, ileostomy or tracheostomy, might worry about looking after it, or the possibility of something going wrong. They may also worry that people will avoid them.
When treatment has changed your physical appearance, it’s natural to want to try to hide parts of your body from your partner because you’re worried about their reaction. However, they may not have a problem with your changed appearance.
These are all natural concerns and often these problems settle down in time. There are different organisations| that can help. Your doctor or nurse, or our cancer support specialists, can also give you more information. Some people may need expert help from a psychologist or a counsellor and your doctor can arrange this for you.
After cancer treatment, particularly radiotherapy or chemotherapy, most people find they feel very tired. This can be worrying, and you may wonder if it’s a sign that the cancer has come back. It’s normal to feel tired for some months after treatment and sometimes for much longer than this.
Usually, you’ll gradually become less tired and begin to build up your strength. There are different ways of coping with fatigue. Plan your day so that you have time to rest and do the things you want to do most.
Be realistic about what you can do and try not to do too much. Gentle exercise| can help improve fatigue.
Our section on fatigue| has tips on dealing with tiredness.
Cancer, or its treatment, can sometimes cause swelling of a part of the body. This is known as lymphoedema. Our section on lymphoedema| talks about ways of reducing the risk of developing it, and has tips on coping with the condition.
Usually the side effects of radiotherapy gradually settle down after treatment is over. But some people are left with long-term side effects. For example, radiotherapy to the head and neck area may cause a dry mouth. You can read more about this in our information about mouth care after cancer treatment|.
Radiotherapy to the pelvis (lower tummy) can sometimes cause problems such as diarrhoea or having to pass urine more often. It may also cause sexual effects such as infertility or problems getting an erection.
You can read more about the long-term effects of radiotherapy to the pelvic area, and ways of coping with these effects, in our sections on pelvic radiotherapy in men| and pelvic radiotherapy in women|.
Treatment and the emotional effects of cancer can sometimes cause difficulty getting an erection (impotence), vaginal dryness or loss of sex drive.
There are different ways of coping with these. Simple lubricants can be bought from most chemists to help ease discomfort during intercourse. There are also special creams or gels which can be prescribed by your doctor.
If your treatment has made you impotent, your doctor can prescribe drugs to help with this. There are also other methods such as vacuum pumps that can be used if you can’t take these drugs or if they don’t work for you.
If intercourse isn’t possible due to the cancer or its treatment, you may find that sensual touching, stroking and kissing can bring just as much enjoyment and intimacy.
You can read more detailed information about coping with body changes and other sexual problems in our section about sexuality and cancer|.
Some cancer treatments can cause infertility. Whatever your situation, the loss of fertility can be overwhelming. Some people may find it helps to talk things over with a trained counsellor and your doctor or nurse can arrange this.
You can read more about cancer treatment and infertility in men and women in our section on cancer treatment and fertility|.
Your treatment may have brought on an early menopause or you may be having hormonal treatment which causes menopausal symptoms.
Some of the physical effects of the menopause are hot flushes, vaginal dryness and lowered sex drive (libido). Your doctor or specialist nurse can give you more information on how menopausal symptoms| can be managed. Your doctor may be able to prescribe hormone replacement therapy (HRT) depending on the type of cancer you had.
If you have breast cancer and are taking hormonal therapy you may have side effects similar to menopausal symptoms. We have more infomation about menopausal symptoms| and how to cope with them.
Men with prostate cancer who are taking hormonal therapy may have side effects such as hot flushes. You can read helpful tips on coping with these in our section on men’s cancers and hormonal symptoms|.
Some hormonal therapies (in men and women), when used over a long time, may increase your risk of bone thinning (osteoporosis). Exercise, like walking, reduces your risk of osteoporosis and has other health benefits too.
You may have lost or gained weight as a result of your treatment. If you’ve had surgery to the stomach or bowel you may have to make changes to your diet. Treatment to the head and neck area can also cause changes to the way you eat. If you’re having eating difficulties ask your doctor to refer you to a dietitian for advice.
You can read more about coping with eating difficulties in our section on diet and cancer|. We also have other information on specific eating problems, which our cancer support specialists can send you.
Occasionally cancer treatments can cause pain. Surgery or chemotherapy can damage the nerves resulting in pain which sometimes takes months to get better. Let your doctor or nurse know if you have pain. There are different drugs that can be used to control it. You can read more about this in our section on controlling cancer pain|.
Some treatments (usually certain chemotherapy drugs) can damage the nerves. This can cause changes in sensation, such as burning, pins and needles and muscle weakness (known as peripheral neuropathy). It often gradually improves when treatment is over but in some people it’s permanent. Our section on peripheral neuropathy| has helpful information on ways of coping.
Let your doctor know about any symptoms or ongoing side effects you’re having. There are different ways in which they can be helped.
Some of the symptoms or effects mentioned here may not be related to cancer but to other medical conditions. Always tell your doctor about new symptoms that you’re having or anything unusual for you.
For answers, support or just a chat, call the Macmillan Support Line free (Monday to Friday, 9am-8pm)
If you have any questions about cancer, need support or just want someone to talk to, ask Macmillan.