“Are there a lot of side effects with radiation therapy for colorectal cancer?”
My dad has colorectal cancer and it's being treated with radiation therapy. However, now there's irritation around the area where the radiation hits. Are there a lot of side effects with this type of treatment?
2 Answers
There is soreness in the anorectal area towards the end of treatment, which gradually resolves. It can be managed with topical agents and pain meds.
Your dad will have some side effects like mild diarrhea or some irritation in bladder and rectum especially with chemotherapy such as oral Xeloda or continuous 5FU but should not be too bad because new technology in radiation therapy(IMRT and IGRT). If it is too excessive. He should inform his oncologist.
