Long-term effects of treatment

Ideally, you will have had the opportunity to discuss all the possible long-term effects of your past treatment (for example, severe tiredness|), as well as the immediate side effects, with your hospital doctor or nurse. Unfortunately, however, this conversation does not always happen, or you may have found this extra information too much to take in on top of all the other things that were happening at that time.

Physical changes Back to top

Some people find that their cancer has very few physical effects, but others may have had part of their body removed (a mastectomy| or amputation, for example) to get rid of the cancer. This can make it very difficult to adjust to everyday life after your treatment. If you have had an operation to remove part of your digestive system (such as the bowel|), you may need to get used to a new way of eating, as well as coping with new ways of getting rid of waste from the body. If you have had a new opening (stoma) made in the body, such as a tracheostomy in your throat, or a colostomy, ileostomy or urostomy on your abdomen, this can have an impact on all aspects of your life.

There are organisations| that give help and support to people who have had amputations or stomas, or other disabilities caused by cancer.

Tiredness and lack of energy (fatigue) Back to top

After cancer treatment, particularly radiotherapy or chemotherapy, most people find that they feel tired for months, or even years. This can be worrying, as you may wonder if it is a sign that the cancer has come back. It is quite normal to feel tired for a very long time after treatment for cancer.

Even if you don’t actually feel tired you will probably find that you have less energy – that doing things you could do quite easily before your treatment leaves you feeling worn out and drained. This lack of energy can take many months to disappear. As these feelings of tiredness or loss of energy are not actually dangerous or painful, they are often not mentioned very much by nurses and doctors. However, they can be very frustrating when you want to get back to a normal life again but find that you feel too tired or don’t have enough energy.

Our section on fatigue| has tips on dealing with tiredness.

Lymphoedema Back to top

Cancer, or its treatment, can sometimes cause swelling of a part of the body. This is known as lymphoedema. Our section lymphoedema| talks about ways of reducing the risk of developing lymphoedema, and has tips on coping with it.