Side effects of radiotherapy for oesophageal cancer

Men and women discussing non oesophageal cancer

This page is about the side effects of radiotherapy for cancer of the oesophagus (food pipe). You can find information below on

A quick guide to what's on this page
Side effects of external radiotherapy
Side effects from radiotherapy to treat symptoms
Side effects of internal radiotherapy
Long term side effects

Side effects of external radiotherapy

The side effects of radiotherapy depend on which part of the body is being treated. For oesophageal cancer, you have treatment to the middle of your chest. The side effects of treatment include a dry sore throat that makes swallowing difficult, feeling or being sick, increasing tiredness and a reddening of the skin and loss of body hair in the treatment area.

Side effects usually come on gradually throughout your course of treatment. So they are likely to be worse by the end of your course. They can continue to get worse for about 1 or 2 weeks after a course of intensive radiotherapy. Over the following few weeks, your side effects will gradually improve.

Side effects of internal radiotherapy

Internal radiotherapy for oesophageal cancer can cause soreness when swallowing. Occasionally, ulcers can develop inside your food pipe. Your doctor will give you painkillers to ease the soreness.

Both types of radiotherapy can cause longer term side effects. Your oesophagus may become less stretchy, which can make it difficult to swallow. Your doctor can relieve this with a small operation to stretch the oesophagus slightly.

CR PDF Icon You can view and print the quick guides for all the pages in the treating oesophageal cancer section.

The side effects of radiotherapy depend on which part of the body is being treated. For cancer of the oesophagus, you have treatment to the middle of your chest. The side effects of treatment are

Short term soreness when swallowing
A dry sore throat that makes swallowing difficult
Feeling or being sick
Increasing tiredness
Reddening of the skin in the treatment area
Loss of any body hair in the treatment area

The links above will take you to more information about that side effect. Side effects usually come on gradually throughout your course of treatment. So they are likely to be worse by the end of your course. And they can continue to get worse for about 1 or 2 weeks after a course of intensive radiotherapy. Over the following few weeks, your side effects will gradually improve.

You will probably only be able to eat a liquid or very soft diet towards the end of several weeks of radiotherapy. There is more about this in the living with oeseophageal cancer section.

If necessary you can have an anti sickness drug before your treatment, to stop the radiotherapy making you feel sick.

Radiotherapy can cause tiredness for many people. This increases as the treatment course goes on. The tiredness generally wears off over the few weeks or months following your treatment. There is more about the side effects of radiotherapy in the main radiotherapy section.

Your skin in the treatment area may become red, as if it was slightly sunburned. Some people have only a slight reaction. Others have more problems with it. Generally, this side effect happens less severely than it used to because of the radiotherapy machines we now use. If you do get sore skin, don't put anything on it. Check with your radiographer or nurse and see what they recommend.

If you are having treatment for advanced oesophageal cancer, you might only have a few treatments. So you may not have any side effects from your radiotherapy. Your doctor will be giving you the treatment to make you feel better. So it is important that the treatment itself does not make you feel worse.

Like all radiotherapy treatment, internal radiotherapy does have side effects. The treatment will cause soreness when swallowing. Occasionally, ulcers can develop inside your food pipe. Your doctor will give you painkillers to ease the soreness. You will have to have a liquid or very soft diet while your throat is sore.

Both internal and external radiotherapy can cause longer term side effects. The treatment can cause your oesophagus to become less stretchy. This is called an oesophageal stricture. It can make it difficult for you to swallow. Your doctor can relieve this with a small operation to stretch the oesophagus slightly. This is called dilatation. You usually have it done via a tube down your throat (endoscopy) while you are under sedation.