RF amplifiers used in communications systems exhibit backward intermodulation caused by non-linear amplification. Backward intermodulation of the transmit signal and an external signal, which reaches the output of the amplifier through the antenna, results in an unwanted third-order intermodulation product that potentially interferes with the proper reception of the receive signal. The receive sensitivity of the communications system is adversely affected by this unwanted third-order intermodulation product. By mixing a second-order intermodulation component, caused by the same backward intermodulation, with the transmit signal, a compensation signal is created allowing the cancellation of the unwanted third-order intermodulation component.