Radiotherapy is often used as a treatment for cancer, including lymphoma. Side effects can be rough, but after treatment can be a great time to look at going on holiday to get away from it all. Here are my top 10 tips for travel after radiotherapy for lymphoma, with everything you need to know.
Radiotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses targeted radiation to kill cancer cells. The treatment is aimed at the tumour with the aim of either shrinking the tumour (palliative treatment), or making the cancer completely go away (curative treatment). Radiotherapy is used for lots of different types of cancer, but it’s frequently used for lymphoma. Side effects of radiotherapy can vary a lot between different people, and can depend on the dose you have plus many other factors. You might experience things like fatigue, pain or soreness in the area where you had radiotherapy. These side effects can make planning travel after radiotherapy for lymphoma difficult.
After treatment, you might be desperate for a holiday to get away from everything. A lot of people decide that they want to go on holiday after treatment. Some people want to focus on spending more time with loved ones. Other people might want a chance to just get away from all the hospital appointments and enjoy a change of scenery. But there’s some things you should think about when planning travel after radiotherapy for lymphoma.
My experience of lymphoma
Below, I’ll go through my top 10 things to think about when planning travel after radiotherapy for lymphoma. I had radiotherapy in April 2024 for lymphoma. I was first diagnosed with lymphoma in 2005, relapsed in 2024, and then relapsed again in 2024. So this year was my 3rd time going through lymphoma and its treatment. The radiotherapy I had for lymphoma in 2024 was palliative – so there will be more lymphoma treatment for me at some point in the future. Here’s a photo of my ‘lovely’ radiotherapy room…
I love travel – its one of my biggest hobbies. You can read more about all my travel experiences on the country sections of my blog here. Living with lymphoma over the last 20 years has given me a lot of experience of negotiating travel and lymphoma. Sometimes, travel with lymphoma and after treatment can be challenging – but I’ve always found a way to make it possible. So here are my top tips for travel after radiotherapy for lymphoma.
1. Don’t plan too much, too soon
My first piece of advice for travel after radiotherapy for lymphoma is not to plan too much, too soon. One of the main side effects of radiotherapy is often fatigue, which can leave you feeling very tired after doing very little. Fatigue usually improves with time, but it can take a while to get back to your past energy levels. So don’t plan a trip based on what you used to be able to do, before treatment. Instead, plan a trip based on your current energy levels.
For your first travel after radiotherapy for lymphoma, it’s best to plan a short trip with plenty of opportunities for rest. Going on holiday in your own country can be the easiest option, as you won’t have to deal with exhausting airports and flights and time differences. It’s much better to plan less and enjoy it, rather than push yourself too much. So that 2 week cycling holiday you’ve been dreaming of should wait until you’re sure what you post-treatment energy levels are like.
2. Explore your travel insurance options
Travel insurance after a cancer diagnosis can be a nightmare. I’ve found it really frustrating in the past. When I was feeling rubbish from the side effects of treatment, and also struggling with my mental health following news of a cancer relapse, the last thing I wanted to be dealing with is difficult insurance companies. It just felt so unfair – I just wanted to book a nice holiday and not have to deal with tiring insurance stress.
However, there are options for travel insurance for travel after radiotherapy for lymphoma. There are some companies that specialise in insurance for people with long term conditions. Try contacting these, and exploring your options. Look at options for insurance just within your own country, or just within your region. For example, if you live in the UK, look at insurance that covers just Europe rather than worldwide travel insurance, as any insurance covering the USA can be a lot more expensive. Make sure you answer the medical screening questions honestly, so you can feel reassured that your insurance will cover everything you need it to.
And be reassured that travel insurance gets easier over time. The longer time since your treatment, the easier your insurance will be. If you can tick the box to say your treatment was over 2 years ago, your insurance will be a bit cheaper and easier. And many insurance companies like the magic 5 years – so if you’re 5 years post treatment, then insurance becomes loads easier. So don’t despair – it gets easier over time, even if the first year is a pain.
I’ve got a full guide to travel insurance after cancer here.
3. Be careful with the sun
One of the most common side effects of radiotherapy is skin soreness in the area you had the treatment. I had this quite badly when I had radiotherapy in 2024. It got better after a few weeks, but I still wanted to be super careful with the areas of treated skin afterwards. And one thing my doctors consistently reinforced to me was the importance of protecting the treated skin from the sun.
Try to keep any areas of treated skin covered up when you’re in the sun. If you can’t easily – e.g. if you had radiotherapy to your neck, like I did – then sun cream and a hat are essential.
You might also want to think about what type of holiday you’re going on, to make sure you can protect yourself from the sun. For example, a holiday in a hot country near the equator, where you’ll plan to sunbathe in a bikini all week, might not be ideal. It might be better to plan a holiday to a country where the sun isn’t so strong and you can cover up more easily, such as Scandinavia.
4. Plan your trip around follow up hospital appointments
Unfortunately, hospital appointments don’t end when treatment ends. There will be follow up appointments to see how you’re getting on, and potential follow up scans. You might even be advised that more treatment is recommended.
Plan any holidays around these follow up appointments to make sure you don’t miss any important appointments. You might also want to plan to keep a few days either side of an appointment free. No one wants to come home from holiday and then have to go to a hospital appointment the next day. Give yourself a few days after a holiday to get back into normal life before any appointments.
5. Keep your travel group small – or travel solo
If you’re struggling with energy, it can be easier to pace activities when it’s just you and your partner, or a close friend/family member. If you’re in a big group, you can feel pressured to keep up with the group, and push yourself too much. Being in a smaller group makes it easier to communicate how you’re feeling, and also makes it easier for everyone to compromise on activities if needed.
Solo travel can be a great option for travel after radiotherapy for lymphoma – you can go completely at your own pace, without feeling like you’re holding anyone back. Although solo travel can feel daunting, especially after a health scare, there are benefits to this type of travel. Being able to plan my own itinerary and only do things I feel well enough to do is one of the big reasons why I love solo travel. If you’re interested in exploring solo travel, check out some of my guides to solo travel here.
6. Ask your doctor if there’s anything specific you should be careful of
When you’re planning to travel after radiotherapy for lymphoma, it’s always a good idea to check with your doctor if there’s anything specific you should be careful of. Often, the precautions you need to think about can be specific to the type of treatment you’ve received or the side effects you’ve experienced. It’s often not a one-size-fits-all approach.
For example, if you’ve had chemotherapy as well as radiotherapy, you might have a weakened immune system after treatment. This might mean you need to be more careful about not picking up infections when you travel, or being more careful with safe food and safe drinking water. If your treatment has given you an increased risk of blood clots, you might be advised to stand up and move around more on flights rather than sit still. Check with your doctor for any of these more specific pieces of advice to help keep you safe.
7. Make sure you’re up to date with your travel vaccines
Travel vaccines are important for everyone, but even more important for people travelling after cancer. Make sure you book an appointment with your GP or travel nurse to discuss what vaccines are necessary and advisable for the places you intend to travel.
Thinking about vaccines can be especially important if you’ve had chemotherapy as well as radiotherapy, or treatment such as a bone marrow transplant. Sometimes, after these treatments, you might need to have all your childhood vaccines again. This is because some chemotherapy can wipe out your previous immunity to infections. Check with your doctor about this. They’ll know the right advice for your situation. But make sure all your vaccines – routine vaccines and travel vaccines – are fully up to date before you travel.
8. Take important phone numbers with you
It can be reassuring to take some important phone numbers with you when you travel after radiotherapy for lymphoma. This could be the phone numbers of your doctors and medical team at your usual hospital at home. If you have any health issues while you’re on holiday, it can help to know that you can easily call your familiar medical team and ask for advice. Your familiar medical team will be able to advise you. So having their phone numbers easily accessible can be reassuring.
It can also be reassuring to make sure you have the phone numbers and contact details of emergency healthcare and local doctors where you’re going. If you’re travelling somewhere that speaks a different language, you could also consider taking some written information about your medical condition and treatment that is written in that language, so you can give it to a local doctor. Hopefully you won’t need any of this – but it’s always better to be over-prepared just in case.
9. Make sure you’ve got spare medication with you – with the prescriptions
It’s always a good idea to take extra of any medication you’re on. You never know when there might be flight delays, or other unforseen circumstances that mean you might be delayed getting home for a few days. If you’ve got an extra few days or week of any medication, then unforseen delays won’t be an issue.
If you’ve got medication on prescription, it can help to take the prescription from the doctor with you alongside the medication. This can be helpful just in case you’re questioned at airport security about your medication. If you’re travelling to a country that speaks a different language, you can also think about having the prescription translated into the local language of that country – just in case of any border issues, or if you need to get more from a local pharmacy. Again, it’s something you hopefully won’t ever need, but being prepared can help the trip feel less stressful.
10. Stay hydrated and try to eat a healthy, balanced diet
The last of my top 10 tips for travel after radiotherapy for lymphoma is to stay hydrated and try to eat a healthy, balanced diet while you’re away on holiday. When you’re on holiday, it can be easy to slip into bad habits. Sometimes you can be too busy to eat a proper lunch. Or you can forget to drink enough water when sightseeing. It’s super important to stay hydrated when you’re on holiday, especially if you’re still feeling tired after radiotherapy. Trying to eat a healthy, balanced diet will also help you have as much energy as possible to fully enjoy your holiday. But of course, allow yourself some treats sometimes! After having radiotherapy, you definitely deserve some treats while you’re on holiday.
Hope you found my top 10 tips for travel after radiotherapy for lymphoma useful! You can check out more of my guides to travel with chronic health issues here. And when you’re ready to start planning your next trip, check out some of my destination guides to get inspired, in Europe, the USA, and the Middle East.
