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You can contact our specialist nurses on our free Support Line with any questions about radiotherapy and the advantages and disadvantages.
What's in the 'Radiotherapy' section?
- Radiotherapy for pancreatic cancer
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of radiotherapy?
- What does radiotherapy involve?
- What are the side effects of pancreatic cancer radiotherapy?
If you are offered radiotherapy, speak to your doctor about the advantages and disadvantages of this treatment. You might find our questions to ask your doctor or nurse helpful.
What are the advantages?
- The main advantage of radiotherapy is that it may help to control the growth of the cancer.
- For a small number of people with borderline resectable cancer and locally advanced pancreatic cancer, radiotherapy may help to make surgery possible.
- Each treatment session will take about 30 minutes, or longer for SABR. You won’t usually need to stay in hospital.
- You may be able to carry on with your daily life, such as going to work, if you feel up to it.
- If you have advanced cancer, radiotherapy can help control symptoms and relieve pain.
What are the disadvantages?
- Radiotherapy can cause side effects, including tiredness, sickness and runny poo (diarrhoea), but these are usually mild.
- If you have chemoradiotherapy, you may also get side effects from the chemotherapy. There are ways to manage side effects.
- If you have borderline resectable cancer or locally advanced pancreatic cancer, you may have to go to hospital five days a week for several weeks for your radiotherapy, although this may vary.
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Updated January 2026
Review date January 2029