Read article About radiotherapy for anal cancer
This page tells you about radiotherapy for anal cancer.
About radiotherapy for anal cancer
Radiotherapy uses high energy X-rays to kill cancer cells. You may have it to get rid of a tumour or if a cancer is advanced, to control the cancer and relieve symptoms.
Radiotherapy with chemotherapy
You are most likely to have radiotherapy with chemotherapy, which is known as chemoradiation. We know from research that this is better than surgery for treating anal cancer. If chemoradiation is successful it also means you avoid having a permanent colostomy.
Radiotherapy to relieve symptoms
You may have radiotherapy for advanced anal cancer. This is called palliative radiotherapy. It shrinks the tumour for a time and may help to relieve symptoms.
You can view and print the quick guides for all the pages in the treating anal cancer section.
Radiotherapy uses high energy X-rays to kill cancer cells. External radiotherapy means radiotherapy beamed from the outside of your body. You can't feel radiotherapy when you have it. But radiotherapy treatment given over a few weeks will usually have some side effects.
You may have radiotherapy for anal cancer
- To get rid of the cancer - this is usually in combination with chemotherapy
- To control an advanced cancer and relieve the symptoms it may be causing
You are most likely to have radiotherapy with chemotherapy (chemoradiation) as your main treatment. We know from research that this is better than surgery for treating anal cancer. If chemoradiation is successful it also means you avoid having a permanent colostomy. You can find out more about this treatment in our section about chemoradiation for anal cancer.
You may have radiotherapy to help shrink an advanced cancer. This may help to relieve symptoms that the cancer may be causing, such as pain. This is called palliative radiotherapy.
To control symptoms, you generally have a short course of radiotherapy over a few days.
The radiotherapy section tells you more about this type of treatment, including
You can contact our cancer information nurses for more information. There are also books and booklets about radiotherapy, some of which are free. Look at our bowel cancer reading list or contact one of the bowel cancer organisations that produce information.
- Share this: Tweet
-
-
- Print this page
-
Email this page
Increase text size
Decrease text size
Print page
Print basket
Save pages here and print in one go
Nurse helpline
Questions about cancer? Call freephone
0808 800 4040
or email us
