Most side effects of radiotherapy only last for a few days or weeks after treatment has finished. However, some side effects, such as tiredness or hair loss, can last for a few months.
Follow-up appointments
After your course of radiotherapy has finished, you will have an appointment with your oncologist (a cancer doctor who specialises in radiotherapy) to check on your progress.
You may need to have follow-up appointments for several years, but they will usually become less frequent as time passes.
Your GP will be sent a report about your treatment. You will also be able to contact a member of your treatment team if you have any questions after your course of radiotherapy has finished.
Effects of radiotherapy
Despite the side effects mentioned here, radiotherapy can be a highly effective treatment, either in curing or controlling a cancer, or relieving symptoms.
The positive effects of radiotherapy usually take some time to become apparent. The treatment's benefits will depend on the type of cancer that you have and how advanced it is when treatment begins.
The effectiveness of your radiotherapy treatment may also depend on whether you are having other forms of treatment alongside radiotherapy, such as chemotherapy or surgery.
You can read more about your radiotherapy follow-up on the Cancer Research UK website.
