Information currently under review
Sexual intercourse and radiotherapy to the pelvic area
Taking part in a clinical trial
This section looks at matters that will be of concern to some people having radiotherapy.
Having radiotherapy in areas near your reproductive organs can affect your fertility (your ability to have children naturally), temporarily or permanently.
In women, radiotherapy to the pelvic area can result in symptoms similar to those of menopause. Your periods may become irregular or stop altogether. After treatment, your periods may return but some women will be permanently infertile.
In men, radiotherapy to an area which includes the testicles may reduce sperm production temporarily or permanently. If you want to father a child, you may consider having sperm stored before your treatment starts so that artificial insemination will be possible later.
It is still possible for many women to become pregnant while receiving radiotherapy. A man having radiotherapy could make his partner pregnant.
Women having radiotherapy or women whose partners are having radiotherapy should not become pregnant. In a woman, radiotherapy may affect either her ova (eggs) before conception or her unborn child. Radiotherapy to an area close to a man's testicles may cause him to produce abnormal sperm.
You and your partner must use contraception or abstain from sex during radiotherapy and for at least three months thereafter if pregnancy is a possibility. Should you or your partner become pregnant, discuss it with your doctor as soon as possible.
Men and women usually find that radiotherapy to the pelvic area causes sexual intercourse to temporarily become uncomfortable and undesirable.
In women, the vagina may feel dry, itchy or burning. If you have these problems, you should tell your doctor or nurse, as the symptoms can usually be relieved quickly and easily. Radiotherapy to the pelvic area can also cause a woman's vaginal tissue to shrink after treatment, making sexual intercourse painful. Your doctor can advise you about using a dilator and vaginal lubricant if necessary.
You may consider taking part in a clinical trial.
Clinical trials are a vital part of the search to find better treatments for cancer. Doctors conduct clinical trials to test new or modified treatments and see if they are better than existing treatments. Many people all over the world have taken part in clinical trials that have resulted in improvements to cancer treatment. Taking part in a trial means that you may get access to a potentially beneficial new treatment before it is generally available. However, there are risks, and the decision to take part in a clinical trial is always yours.
If you decide to take part in a clinical trial, make sure that you fully understand the reasons for the trial and what it means for you. Before deciding whether or not to join the trial, you may wish to ask your doctor:
If you decide to join a randomised clinical trial, you will be given either the best existing treatment or a promising new treatment. You will be allocated at random to receive one treatment or the other. In clinical trials, people's health and progress are carefully monitored.
If you do join a clinical trial, you have the right to withdraw at any time. Doing so will not jeopardise your treatment for cancer.
It is always your decision to take part in a clinical trial. If you do not want to take part, your doctor will discuss the best current treatment choices with you.
