Living with & beyond cancer - Advice for women

After your cancer treatment, you may experience a range of side-effects that affect your quality of life. Treatment for breast cancer and gynaecological cancers - cervical, ovarian endometrial, vulval or vaginal cancers - can have particular side-effects that you may find difficult to manage. 

Learning about your cancer and treatment plan will help you to understand and manage your side effects. This guide will aim to provide helpful advice on:

• The most common symptoms that may apply to you
• How to manage your wellbeing and recovery
• How to maintain a healthy lifestyle to help your body recover
• Where to seek advice.

Physical effects

• Menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes or night sweats
• Extreme tiredness or fatigue
• Sleeping difficulties
• Gastrointestinal issues, such as diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting
• Pain
• Lymphoedema
• Urinary problems
• Numbness in hands or feet (peripheral neuropathy)

While many side-effects clear up in the weeks and months after treatment ends, some may be longer lasting. Whatever the case, it’s important to get support from your medical and nursing team and to learn about strategies which may help you to feel better. Find out more about different side-effects and ways to cope better.

Emotional effects

• Mood changes
• Anxiety and fear of cancer returning
• Depression or sadness
• Lack of confidence

The emotional effects of your cancer diagnosis can impact you at any stage in your treatment and beyond. People affected by cancer are more likely to seek support once their treatment has finished, sometimes years later. Many side-effects such as sleeping difficulties, fatigue and changes to your body image can also affect your mood. Telling your medical team or nurse specialists about these issues will help you.

Sex and fertility

• Managing your sexual relationships
• Sexual difficulties, such as loss of sexual desire, vaginal dryness, pain during sex
• Fertility problems or infertility
• Questions about contraception

Changes in your sexual health as a result of your cancer diagnosis and treatment is a normal but often overlooked side-effect, which can negatively affect your quality of life. It can impact your sex and intimate relationships and can cause fertility issues. Some treatments can have a physical impact on your body, but it is also important to remember the emotional impact cancer can have. There is help out there and you don’t have to suffer in silence.

Getting support

If your life is affected by any kind of physical, emotional or sexual difficulty, please reach out for support.

Links to further helpful information

• WHI Learn more about special clinics dedicated to supporting women after cancer
• Coping with side-effects and symptoms
• Your emotions after cancer treatment
• Side-effects after cancer treatment
• Healthy living after cancer treatment