Do radiation side effects go away after treatment?

Usually, yes. Healthy cells that are damaged during radiation treatment normally recover within a few months after treatment is over, and many side effects get better as they heal.

But this is not true for everyone. Sometimes people have side effects that do not improve. And some side effects, called late effects, may show up months or years after radiation therapy is over.

Whether you might have late effects, and what they might be, depends on the part of your body that was treated, other cancer treatments you have had, genetics, and other factors such as smoking.

Because this varies so much, ask your doctor or nurse which late effects you should watch for, and keep up with your follow-up visits so any problems can be found and managed early.