During radiation therapy, people are likely to become very tired, especially in the later weeks of treatment. Resting is important, but doctors usually advise patients to try to stay as active as they can. Patients receiving radiation for uterine cancer commonly have side effects that include dry, reddened skin and hair loss in the treated area, loss of appetite and fatigue. Radiation therapy also may cause a decrease in the number of white blood cells that help protect the body against infection. Treatment may also cause diarrhea or frequent and uncomfortable urination.
Some women have dryness, itching, tightening, and burning in the vagina.
Women may be taught how to use a dilator as well as a water-soluble lubricant to help minimize these problems. Hormone Therapy is the use of drugs, such as progesterone, that prevent cancer cells from getting or using the hormones they may need to grow. Hormone treatment is a systemic therapy. The drugs, which are usually taken by mouth, enter the bloodstream, travel through the body, and control cancer cells outside the uterus. Women who are unable to have surgery are sometimes treated with hormone therapy.