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RADIOTHERAPY LATE EFFECTS
What are late effects of radiotherapy?
Radiotherapy late effects can occur many months or even years after finishing radiotherapy for cancer . They may happen once, stay, or come and go. While some side effects may not be curable, it might be possible to manage them.
Everyone is different, and you may experience a late effect that is not listed here. It is not possible to predict if or when you will experience them.
We describe the side effects of radiotherapy as:
- Early and short-term, can start during your course of radiotherapy and usually get better within two to six months after.
- Late and long term may happen many months or years after radiotherapy. Some of these side effects may not go away. Sometimes we may give you medicine to help.
We use these words to explain how likely you are to get the side effects:
Word: Expected
What it means: 50 to 100 out of 100 are expected to get these side effects
Word: Common
What it means: 10 to 50 out of 100 are expected to get these side effects
Word: Less Common
What it means: less than 10 out of 100 are expected to get these side effects
Word: Rare
What it means: less than 1 out of 100 are expected to get these side effects
The Royal College of Radiologists National Radiotherapy Consent Forms are used to help people understand the types of side effects and how common they are:
Sources of support for late effects of radiotherapy
This page gives information about support for people who have late effects (late or long-term side effects) from radiotherapy.
More people are living longer after cancer treatment. We now know more about how radiotherapy can affect the body over time. These late or long-term effects can appear months or years after treatment. While support is still limited, more services are becoming available as we learn more about late effects of radiotherapy.
How this information can help
This page gives a guide to support and information for late effects. Everyone's experience is different, but these services may help. This information includes:
- Videos about late effects
- Information by symptom and by the part of the body treated
- Links to support services
- Self-help tools
- Ways to talk to others with similar experiences
This is a guide to current support and information for radiotherapy late effects. While every patient’s experience is unique, the services mentioned should provide you with some general support. Always follow the specific instructions provided by your clinical team. This leaflet is for general information purposes only. If you are experiencing any symptoms that have not been discussed with your clinical team, please seek their advice.
Radiotherapy UK have produced a video on Frequently Asked Questions about late effects, you can access it here: VIDEO: Late effects - your questions answered Radiotherapy UK.
Webinar about late effects
This webinar produced by the East of England Cancer Alliance looks at possible late effects following finishing cancer treatment. It features The East of England Radiotherapy Late Effects Service Lead, Lara Anthony. You can watch it here.
Support and more information by symptom (a-z)
Chronic pain
- Live Well with Pain
- Pain Concern UK
- Pain UK
- SHOUT support - A free, confidential,
- 24/7 text support service for anyone in the UK who is struggling to cope
- The British Pain Society
- The Pain Toolkit - A self-management tool for people who live with lasting pain
Fatigue and tiredness
- Bath Centre for Fatigue - Follow the link to view the referral criteria and to make a self-referral
- Cancer Research UK - Useful Information about managing fatigue
Heart problems
Lung changes
Managing menopause after cancer: A session for patients and their healthcare professionals
Session on how to manage menopause after cancer — created specifically for both patients and the cancer care teams who support them.
Led by Dani Binnington, founder of Menopause and Cancer and a patient with lived experience, the session blends personal insight with the latest evidence to explore the unique challenges faced by those experiencing treatment-induced menopause.
You’ll also learn about the work of Menopause and Cancer, the UK’s only non-profit focused solely on this issue. Learn how they support both patients and healthcare professionals through expert-led resources, clinical partnerships, and tailored services. The session has been edited to remove patients' questions and comments at the end.
Pelvic late effects
If you have had radiotherapy for cancers of the: colon, rectum, anus, prostate, testes, bladder, cervix and womb, total body radiotherapy and radiotherapy in the pelvic area for other cancers).
Understanding anal narrowing after cancer treatments and anal dilation
This video is intended for adults who have had a cancer diagnosis or cancer treatment. The video has been made by Greater Manchester Cancer alliance with The Christie and input from cancer patients based in Greater Manchester. This video features Lucy Buckley from The Christie NHS Trust talking about anal narrowing after cancer treatment. Some cancer treatments can cause the anus (back passage), this video explains why it can happen, how this can affect people and how to help.
Understanding vaginal narrowing and dilators
This video is intended for adults who have had a cancer diagnosis or cancer treatment. The video has been made by Greater Manchester Cancer alliance with The Christie and input from cancer patients based in Greater Manchester.
This video features Imogen Hemy from The Christie NHS Trust talking about vaginal narrowing after cancer treatment. Some cancer treatments can cause the vagina to become shorter and more narrow, this video explains why it can happen and how to use vaginal dilators.
Help to choose a lubricant
This video is intended for adults who have had a cancer diagnosis or cancer treatment. The video has been made by Greater Manchester Cancer alliance with The Christie and input from cancer patients based in Greater Manchester.
This video features Dr Zeeshan Arif from The Christie NHS Trust talking about lubricant. It explains the different types of lubricants, how to choose one, and what to think about to find what suits you.
Tips and techniques for vaginal dryness
This video is intended for adults who have had a cancer diagnosis or cancer treatment. The video has been made by Greater Manchester Cancer alliance with The Christie and input from cancer patients based in Greater Manchester.
This video features Katy Clark from The Christie NHS Trust talking about vaginal dryness.
It gives tips to help manage vaginal dryness, to improve comfort in daily life and sexual activity.
Medical devices for changes to your erections
This video is intended for adults who have had a cancer diagnosis or cancer treatment. The video has been made by Greater Manchester Cancer alliance with The Christie and input from cancer patients based in Greater Manchester.
This video features Vipin Venugopal from iMEDicare UK Ltd talking about erection changes after treatment. It explains why erections can change and how one of the treatment options (vacuum pump device) can help.
Changes to ejaculation
This video is intended for adults who have had a cancer diagnosis or cancer treatment. The video has been made by Greater Manchester Cancer alliance with The Christie and input from cancer patients based in Greater Manchester.
This video features Luke Roberts from HCA Healthcare UK talking about changes to ejaculation after cancer treatments. It explains how some cancer treatments can affect ejaculation and orgasm, what changes you might notice, and when to ask for support.
Life after Cancer: Sex lives and intimacy after cancer (video)
This video produced by life after cancer discusses ways to approach sex after cancer
Understanding sexual identity
This video is intended for adults who have had a cancer diagnosis or cancer treatment. The video has been made by Greater Manchester Cancer alliance with The Christie and input from cancer patients based in Greater Manchester.
This video features Julia Pugh from The Christie NHS Trust talking about sexual identity, function and relationships. It explains how cancer and cancer treatments can change your sexual identity, how your body responds and relationships, and gives some ways to adjust and find support.
Sexual desire change
This video is intended for adults who have had a cancer diagnosis or cancer treatment. The video has been made by Greater Manchester Cancer alliance with The Christie and input from cancer patients based in Greater Manchester.
This video features Julia Pugh from The Christie NHS Trust talking about sexual desire, response and pleasure after cancer. It explains why sexual desire and response can change after treatment and gives simple steps that may help you reconnect with comfort and confidence.
Changes to your sense of self and your changed body
This video is intended for adults who have had a cancer diagnosis or cancer treatment. The video has been made by Greater Manchester Cancer alliance with The Christie and input from cancer patients based in Greater Manchester.
This video features Julia Pugh from The Christie NHS Trust talking about body image changes.
It gives information and tips to help with the changes to your body after treatment, how they can affect your confidence and sense of self.
Skin changes
- Changing faces - A support and information line, and support with skin camouflage. Available to everyone with a scar, mark or condition on their face or body. Tel: 0300 012 0275
Skeletal problems
Support and information by part of the body treated (a-z)
Bladder
Bowel
Brain
Breast
- Breast Cancer Now: Life after treatment - Nurse helpline: 0808 800 6000
- Radiotherapy UK: Understanding late effects of radiotherapy for breast cancer
Head and Neck
- Changing faces - A support and information line and support with skin camouflage, available to everyone with a scar, mark or condition on their face or body. Tel: 0300 012 0275
- Radiotherapy UK: Understanding late effects of radiotherapy for head and neck cancer
- Salivary Gland Cancer UK: Radiotherapy treatment and late effects
- The Mouth Cancer Foundation – Support includes an online support group and Facebook group
Liver
- British Liver Trust
- Radiotherapy UK: Understanding the late effects of radiotherapy for liver cancer
Lung
Oesophagus (food pipe)
Pancreas
Prostate
- Prostate Cancer Research: Late effects of radiotherapy treatment
- Radiotherapy UK: Understanding the late effects of radiotherapy for prostate cancer
Stomach Cancer
General help
- Macmillan: Cancer information and support - Call: 0808 808 0000
- Maggie’s: Information and support – Call: 0300 123 1801
- Life after Cancer
- NHS talking therapies for anxiety and depression – Free treatments delivered by fully trained and accredited NHS practitioners. They can help if you're struggling with things like feelings of depression, excessive worry, social anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- SHOUT - A free, confidential, 24/7 text support service for anyone in the UK who is struggling to cope. Text the word ‘Shout’ to 85258.
We love feedback!
This page is part of our commitment to improving the support available to people living with the late effects of radiotherapy. If you’ve found this information helpful, or if you think something could be improved, we’d really appreciate your feedback.
Please fill out our feedback form by clicking on the link below.
Remember
This page offers general information only. If you have any symptoms that have not been discussed with your clinical team, or if you are unsure about any aspect of your care, please speak to your clinical team.
This information was correct as of September 2025 and will be reviewed in September 2026
Quick question
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