Stomach cancer: Understanding side effects of radiotherapy
Radiotherapy for stomach cancer can cause side effects. These can happen during treatment, soon after, or much later after treatment has finished. Early (sometimes called acute) side effects happen during and soon after radiotherapy. Everyone is different so it is not possible to say exactly when side effects will start, end, or how severe they will be. The best advice is to talk to your team if you are concerned about anything at all.
You might have side effects or symptoms not listed here, because everyone and every treatment is different. They may also be caused by a different part of your cancer treatment. Research and support for side effects and late effects of radiotherapy is growing.
Joining a support group can be a positive way to share your experiences, feel less alone, and come to terms with the physical and emotional impact of treatment. Ask your treatment or clinical team if you need more support or have any side effects at all.
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 might get 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.
- Sickness (nausea), loss of appetite: It is expected that you will feel sick (nausea) or need to be sick whilst on treatment. The radiotherapy will irritate your stomach and you can sometimes see blood in your sick. You may experience a loss of appetite and subsequent weight loss. Speak to your team if eating becomes a problem as you may need the help of a dietitian to help you eat well.
- Pain and soreness: Your stomach and abdomen can become sore and painful, making it hard to eat. It is common to experience heartburn, indigestion and abdominal cramping.
- Diarrhoea: It is common to experience diarrhoea during and after treatment. Speak to your treatment team if you notice any changes in your bowel habits.
- Ulcers: This may start a few weeks into your treatment. A dietitian can help you find ways to keep eating well. Ask your treatment team about painkillers if needed. It is sometimes necessary to insert a feeding tube if problems persist and weight loss becomes an issue.
- Changes in taste: Food and drink might taste different, like sweet things tasting salty or metallic. This can make eating less enjoyable. These changes are usually temporary but can sometimes be permanent. Talk to your dietitian for tips on dealing with taste changes and keeping a good appetite.
- 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.
- Hair loss: You might lose hair in the area where you are treated. Often, this grows back over time.
How to feel better during or soon after treatment
Here are some ideas you can try to make you feel better.
- Resting: Get lots of sleep and take breaks if you feel tired.
- Sickness: Anti sickness injections and tablets can help. Tell your treatment team if you keep being sick. You might need to try different anti sickness medicines to find one that works.
Tips for managing sickness:
- Avoid eating or preparing food when you feel sick.
- Avoid foods that are fried, fatty, or have a strong smell.
- Drink plenty of liquid to stop you from getting dehydrated.
- Relaxation techniques help control sickness for some people.
- Ginger can help – try it as crystallised stem ginger, ginger tea or ginger ale.
- Support with weight loss: If you cannot get enough nutrition because of the side effects, you might need a feeding tube fitted through your nose (naso-gastric tube) or stomach (gastrostomy tube) to support you.
- Get help: Work with dietitians, physiotherapists and other specialists to help you to manage eating problems and other side effects.
- Stay in touch: Always communicate with your treatment team about any side effects or concerns. They are there to help you feel better and support you throughout your treatment.
- Managing Bowel Problems: Professional advice on what food and drink you can have can help. You can also take medicine to help with diarrhoea and any sickness. Tell your treatment team of 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.
- Skin reactions: Your treatment team can suggest creams to soothe your skin. Sometimes, extra care is needed if the skin breaks down in the treatment area. Wear loose clothing and keep the treatment area out of the sun. Talk to your team about washing, shaving and caring for your skin in your treatment area. You might have to change your normal routine during treatment and for a short time after, especially if you have a radiation skin reaction.
- Keeping active: Gentle movement can help you feel better, both during and after treatment. Your treatment team can tell you what is safe for you to do.
- 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.
