Using the

Ra d i ation

T her apy

Fact

Sheets

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH 

AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health

Helping Providers Help Their Patients
About the radiation therapy and 

side effects fact sheets:

These fact sheets help your patients learn about radiation

therapy and ways to manage its side effects. They are

designed to support discussions between you and your

patient.

The 11 free fact sheets offer practical tips that may enhance

your patients’ understanding and management of self-care at

home. Nine of the fact sheets describe common side effects

of radiation therapy. The other two describe two types of

radiation therapy.

Easy-to-understand language, engaging quotes, photographs,

and questions can help your patients understand and

actively participate in their care. The general information 

in these fact sheets is intended to complement your

patients’ individualized consultation with you, their 

health care provider.

See the last two pages of this booklet 

for a list of available

topics and ordering

information.

To help your patients

learn more about

radiation therapy and 

its side effects, you may 

also order NCI’s booklet,

“Radiation Therapy 

and You.”

Here is what other providers have said about 

these fact sheets:

“The idea of being able to give an easy-tounderstand take-home is a good idea because people

retain so little of what is said to them during an

anxiety-producing experience.”

“I could see us using these with all of our 

patients—good readers and people who aren’t good

readers alike. They are also ideal for patients to

read ahead of time in the waiting room.”

“ I like these sheets because they provide

talking points for us to use when we speak

with patients. The fact sheets also help us

make sure we aren’ t forgetting something.”

“The fact sheets help make the experience

more personal and encourage patients to ask

q u e s t i o n s. Often patients don’t want to bring

up embarrassing issues, and I think the

quotes encourage patients to be more open.”

Research shows that early side-effect management and

pretreatment information may help decrease patients’ fears

and anxiety and increase understanding of treatment.* 

* Hofman, et al. 2004. Cancer patients’ expectations of experiencing

treatment-related side effects. Cancer. 101(4):851–857.
Tips on using the radiation therapy 

fact sheets in a clinical setting:

1. Hand out the relevant fact sheets to your patient.

Talk about the information on the fact sheet while the

patient is in your office.

■ Discussing these fact sheets during an office visit can

increase the patient’s likelihood of reading and using

them at home.

■ When patients understand what to expect during

treatment and the actions to take, they will have less

anxiety about side effects. 

■ The fact sheets can be given to patients in the waiting

room, at the beginning of the visit, or during the

discussion of radiation therapy and its side effects.

2. Highlight or circle important information and

action steps. 

Use a highlighter or a colored pen to draw attention to

key information and action steps on each fact sheet.

■ This simple act can increase your patient’s adherence

to the actions you would like him or her to take.

3. Use the teach-back technique.

For important behaviors and information, ask your

patients to share in their own words what they learn.

■ Confirming patient understanding through the

teach-back technique has been shown to improve

patient recall and comprehension.

■ Applying the teach-back technique during the patient

consult can help avoid misunderstanding. It can also

reduce the time spent educating patients during

subsequent visits.
Radiation Therapy 

Side Effects Fact Sheets 

Diarrhea 

What To Do When You Have 

Loose Stools (Diarrhea) 

Fatigue 

What To Do When You Feel 

Weak or Tired (Fatigue) 

Hair Loss 

What To Do About Hair Loss

(Alopecia) 

Mouth or Throat Pain 

What To Do When Your 

Mouth or Throat Hurts

Nausea and Vomiting 

What To Do About Feeling Sick to

Your Stomach and Throwing Up

(Nausea and Vomiting) 

Sexuality and Fertility (Men)

What Men Can Do About Changes

in Sexuality and Fertility

Sexuality and Fertility (Women)

What Women Can Do About

Changes in Sexuality and Fertility 

Skin Problems

What To Do About Mild 

Skin Changes

Urination Problems 

What To Do About Changes 

When You Urinate

Radiation Therapy 

Fact Sheets 

Brachytherapy 

What To Know About

Brachytherapy (A Type of 

Internal Radiation Therapy) 

External Beam Radiation Therapy

What To Know About External

Beam Radiation Therapy 

Order the Radiation Therapy 

and Side Effects Fact Sheets 

in tear-off pads of 50 sheets 

or as single copies.

■ Please order by title.

■ Call the National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Information

Service at 1-800-422-6237 (1-800-4-CANCER). 

■ Or visit us online at www.cancer.gov/publications.

NOTE: Product or brand names that appear

in these fact sheets are for example only.

The U.S. Government does not endorse 

any specific product or brand. If products 

or brands are not mentioned, it does not

mean or imply that they are not satisfactory.
H OW TO ORDER

Call the National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Information Service

at 1-800-422-6237 (1-800-4-CANCER) .

Or visit us online at 

w w w. c a n c e r. g o v / p u b l i c a t i o n s .

Radiation Therapy and Side Effects Fact Sheets 

come in tear-off pads of 50 sheets.

Each title may also be ordered as a single copy.

Please order by title.

NIH Publication No. 07- 6 112

Printed April 200 7