Radiotherapy for pancreatic cancer may cause side effects, which can occur during treatment, shortly after, or even much later. Early side effects (also called acute side effects) usually happen during or soon after treatment. Side effects vary from person to person, so it’s hard to predict exactly when they will start, how severe they will be, or when they will end. If you have any concerns, speak with your healthcare team—they are there to help.
You may experience side effects or symptoms not listed here, as everyone’s treatment is different. Some side effects might also be caused by other parts of your cancer treatment. Research and support for managing side effects and long-term effects of radiotherapy are continually improving.
Joining a support group can help you share experiences, feel less alone, and cope with the physical and emotional effects of treatment.
If you need more support or have any side effects, talk to your treatment or clinical team.
This page looks at early side effects.
How likely am I to get early side effects?
Before treatment you will discuss and sign a consent form with your clinical oncologist or therapeutic radiographer. They will tell you what to expect, and you can ask questions and discuss any concerns you have about late effects. It’s important to know what you are consenting to and can help to take someone with you.
You can read different radiotherapy consent forms (HERE) based on the specific area being treated. These consent forms are packed with useful information about early and late side effects.(1)
When you consent to treatment, you are saying you understand that you have a chance of getting early and late side effects. Your team will use words like Expected, Common, Less Common and Rare.
This table shows what these words mean.
| Wording on the consent form | % chance of side or late effect | How many patients will get this? |
|---|---|---|
| Expected | 50 to 100% | Between half and all patients |
| Common | 10 to 50% | Up to half of all patients |
| Less common | Less than 10% | Fewer than one in ten patients |
| Rare | Less than 1% | Fewer than one in 100 patients |
Early side effects (during or soon after treatment)
- Feeling very tired or fatigued: You might feel very tired during and after your treatment. It’s important to get plenty of rest but sometimes you will still feel really tired, even with lots of sleep. Some tiredness can be caused by having cancer and having cancer treatment, and some can be caused by travelling to and from hospital every day for treatment.
- Skin reactions: You might notice a change in colour, swelling, itching, or changes in the texture of your skin where you’re treated. For people with lighter skin tones these changes can be pink, red or darker than the surrounding area. People with brown and black skin tones might have colour changes such as maroon, purple, yellow or grey pigment changes. Or the skin can look darker than the surrounding area. These changes usually improve after treatment, but this can take 4 to 6 weeks in some cases.
- Sickness: Sometimes you might feel sick (nausea) or be sick. This is because the pancreas is close to the stomach so it may get some radiation dose. This doesn’t happen to everyone but if it happens to you, you might need to go to hospital and be put on a drip to keep you hydrated. You may also get indigestion, discomfort or a feeling of bloating.
- Effects on the bowels: You might get more wind or loose, watery poo, or notice a slight change in how your bowels work. This is because radiotherapy might also affect parts of your bowels that are close to the treatment area. Diarrhoea can be a problem with abdominal pain and cramps – speak to your treatment team if this becomes an issue as medications can help along with diet changes.
- Loss of appetite: You may not feel like eating. Talk to your dietitian for tips on preventing weight loss and coping with changes in appetite. You might need to have a feeding tube fitted through your stomach wall to help you keep your weight stable.
Less common and rare side effects.
- Skin reactions: You might notice a change in colour, swelling, itching, or changes in the texture of your skin where you’re treated. People with lighter skin tones might experience colour changes such as pink, red or darker than the surrounding area. People with brown and black skin tones might have colour changes such as maroon, purple, yellow or grey pigment changes. Or the skin can look darker than the surrounding area. These changes usually improve after treatment, but this can take 4 to 6 weeks in some cases.
- Hair loss: you might lose hair in the area where you are treated. Often, this grows back over time.
- Bleeding: Sometimes, the treatment can irritate the food pipe or stomach, which can cause bleeding. You may see this in your poo or if you are sick.
- Ulcers: You may get ulcers in the stomach or bowels but this is less common. This can show in your sick as red blood or in your poo as black.
- Perforation: A rare effect is a hole that can occur in your bowel. This will make you feel unwell and will need treatment to correct it.
What can help with these early side effects?
Here are some ideas you can try to make you feel better.
- Rest: Get plenty of sleep and take breaks when you feel tired.
- Stay Active: Gentle exercise can boost your mood and energy. Ask your treatment team what activities are safe for you.
- Manage Bowel Problems: Certain foods, drinks, or medications can help with diarrhea or nausea. Let your treatment team know about any changes.
- Drinking fluids: Drinking plenty of fluids such as water, juice and squash can help with fatigue and tiredness caused by your treatment. It can also help flush out toxins in your body caused by treatment. You can try diluted juice if you don’t like water.
- Care for Your Skin: Use creams recommended by your treatment team to soothe skin reactions. Wear loose clothing and avoid sun exposure on treated areas. Talk to your team about washing, shaving, or caring for your skin, as you may need to adjust your routine during and after treatment.
- Alcohol use: Please follow the NHS guidelines on safe drinking levels and any instructions you get from your team on what is right for you, your diagnosis and your treatment. If in doubt, please ask your team.
- Stop smoking: If you are looking to stop or reduce smoking, there are services available to help you.
- Sexual changes: Talk to your team if you are experiencing issues with sex and cancer and they can offer advice.
