Radiotherapy

Side effects of radiotherapy for pleural mesothelioma

You are unlikely to get side effects from radiotherapy to control your symptoms. You might have side effects if you have a few weeks of radiotherapy treatment after surgery for pleural mesothelioma.

About radiotherapy side effects

The most common side effects are reddening of the skin and loss of hair in the treatment area.

Side effects tend to start a few days after the radiotherapy begins. They gradually get worse during treatment. They can continue to get worse after your treatment ends. But they usually begin to improve 1 or 2 weeks after your treatment ends.

Everyone is different and the side effects vary from person to person. You may not have all of the effects mentioned. Side effects can include:

Other side effects

Some of the side effects you may have depend on which part of your chest is being treated. If it is:

your lower chest, you may feel sick or have diarrhoea
your upper chest, you may develop a dry sore throat

These side effects are usually controllable with anti sickness or anti diarrhoea medicines. Ask your radiotherapy doctor for these if you need them. Any side effects tend to get worse towards the end of your treatment. Then they gradually clear up after it has finished.

While you are having radiotherapy, your radiographer or a physiotherapist may ask you to do particular exercises. These exercises help to prevent stiffness and aching in your chest and shoulder, which some people get after their treatment ends.

Last reviewed: 23 Jun 2023

Next review due: 23 Jun 2026

Radiotherapy for mesothelioma

Radiotherapy uses high energy x-rays to destroy cancer cells. You might have radiotherapy after surgery, or to reduce symptoms of pleural mesothelioma. You don't usually have radiotherapy for peritoneal mesothelioma.

Treatment for mesothelioma

The treatment you have depends on the stage and type of your mesothelioma. Some people with early stage mesothelioma have surgery. Other treatments include immunotherapy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Mesothelioma main page

Mesothelioma is a cancer that most commonly starts in the sheets of skin-like tissue that cover each lung (the pleura). More rarely it starts in the sheet of tissue in the abdomen that covers the digestive system organs (the peritoneum).