Radiation therapy side effects

Radiation therapy treatment can affect your body in different ways. It’s important to understand these effects and how you can keep your body healthy throughout treatment.

As radiation is targeted to a specific area of the body, you generally will only experience side effects in the area being treated. Your radiation oncologist and treatment team will discuss the type of side effects you may experience before your treatment begins.

Although most side effects are temporary and resolve after your radiation therapy has finished, there is a possibility that long-term effects may occur. Please discuss with your radiation oncologist as he/she is the best person to provide more details and this will be covered in the consent process before you start your treatment.

If you have hair in your treatment area, you may lose some or all of it a few weeks after treatment begins. Hair will usually regrow within three to six months. The colour or texture may be different, and it may grow back thinner or patchy.

Occasionally, hair loss can be permanent if you have a high dose of radiation therapy. Your doctor will discuss this with you before you start your treatment.

The effect of radiation therapy to sexual function can be different for everyone and will depend on the area being treated.

You can continue sexual activity without causing harm to your partner. However, it is important to use contraception to avoid pregnancy during treatment.

Radiation therapy to the prostate can affect the nerves that control erections and this may affect your ability to maintain an erection or you may feel a burning sensation during ejaculation. Your desire to have a sexual relationship may also decrease during treatment.

Whether fertility is impacted by radiation therapy depends on the area that is receiving treatment. If you are a woman having radiation therapy to the abdomen or pelvis, the amount of radiation absorbed by the ovaries will determine the potential impact on your fertility. Radiation to the pituitary gland may also affect your fertility, as this gland normally signals the ovaries to ovulate.

Radiation to both testes in men is rare, however, this will affect your fertility. If the radiation fields include the pelvis, there may be scattered radiation doses to the testes that can affect your fertility and this can be temporary or permanent depending on the radiation doses received. Please speak with your radiation oncologist if you or your partner wish to become pregnant or you have fertility concerns.