Coping with side-effects of cancer treatment
Tips on managing symptoms and side-effects during and after cancer treatment.
Cancer and cancer treatments can cause a range of side-effects. They can happen:
- During treatment
- A short time after treatment has ended
- Some time after treatment - we have [more information about coping with late side-effects]

Track and report any side-effects
It’s very important to be aware of any changes and let your medical team know about them, even if they happen some time after treatment. There are treatments to help with most side-effects.
Even if a symptom is not troubling you too much, it’s still best to let your medical team know how you’re feeling, as it may be a symptom of something else. For example, fatigue may be a sign that your red blood cell count is low or that your treatment is affecting your hormone levels. If this is the case, you can have treatment to help you feel better.
Keeping track of side-effects: Keep a diary or use a mobile phone app to note how you’re feeling. You can ask your consultant or specialist nurse about this.
Types of side-effects
About suggestions
Cancers starting with: F
- Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP)
- Family history of BRCA or related cancers
- Fatigue
- Fatigue in children
- Fear of cancer coming back (recurrence)
- Fertility after cancer treatment
- Fertility after cervical cancer
- Fertility and cancer treatment
- Fertility issues for men and people assigned male at birth
- Fertility issues for women and people assigned female at birth
- Financial support (Children's Fund and Transport Service)
- Flap surgery for breast cancer
- Follicular dendritic cell sarcoma (FDC sarcoma)
- Follow-up care after cancer treatment
- Follow-up care after cancer treatment
- Food safety
F
- Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP)
- Family history of BRCA or related cancers
- Fatigue
- Fatigue in children
- Fear of cancer coming back (recurrence)
- Fertility after cancer treatment
- Fertility after cervical cancer
- Fertility and cancer treatment
- Fertility issues for men and people assigned male at birth
- Fertility issues for women and people assigned female at birth
- Financial support (Children's Fund and Transport Service)
- Flap surgery for breast cancer
- Follicular dendritic cell sarcoma (FDC sarcoma)
- Follow-up care after cancer treatment
- Follow-up care after cancer treatment
- Food safety