Whats the side effects of radiotherapy?

i have to do radiotherapy coz i had ependymoma(grade 2) resection in my spinal cord

It depends on what dose of radiation you are receiving and to which area of the body.

I'll assume it is in your spine since that is where you had surgery. At first, radiation causes some transient edema (swelling) by making the blood vessels in the irradiated area dilate. This can result in soreness in the irradiated area and possibly worsen your pretreatment symptoms. The swelling usually goes down in about 3 days after the start of treatment. You will notice reddening of the skin (erythema) around a week to two weeks into the treatment. You have to be gentle with it and try not to scrub at it when washing or and definately do not scratch it. It helps if you put an unscented waterbased moisturizer on it to keep the skin from drying out.

Depending on the treatment energy/technique/dose/field size, some of the underlying organs may incur some side effects from the treatment as well. This can vary from nausea, sore throat, cough, diarrhea, etc etc depending on which organs are involved.

It can also cause general discomfort and loss of appetite. Another general side effect of radiation is fatigue, which may or may not occur. It really depends on each individual and how their body tolerates the radiation. Experiencing/not experiencing side effects does not affect the overall efficacy of the treatment unless it requires treatment stoppage or changes to the prescription dose.

Your radiation oncologist should describe all the expected side effects to you and the long term risks of the treatment. You can always ask the radiation therapists once your treatment starts as well.

Good luck!

Have you asked you Dr? You should really ask him when it comes to cancer, treatments and side effects. He won't mind that is what he is there for.
Good Luck to you

Radiotherapy can cause skin irritation, discoloration, sensitity, fatigue, digestive tract problems (i.e., to the mouth, esophagus, or to the lower digestive/colon) depending on where it is concentrated. Your radiotherapist can give you reading material & hints to alleve the the side effects. Also googe for radiotherapy side affects for additional info.