HEALTH - CHEMOTHERAPY (CHEMO - TREATMENT & SIDE EFFECTS)
What is Chemotherapy?
Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells. Systemic chemotherapy is delivered through the bloodstream, targeting cancer cells throughout the body.
Chemotherapy is given by a medical oncologist, a doctor who specializes in treating cancer with medication. Some people may receive chemotherapy in their doctor's office; others may go to the hospital. A chemotherapy regimen (schedule) usually consists of a specific number of cycles given over a specific time. For example, some drugs are given continuously over several days; some are given several times a week.
Chemotherapy can cause a variety of health side effects. However, doctors have made major strides in recent years in reducing many side effects. The side effects of chemotherapy depend on the individual and the dose used, but can include fatigue, risk of infection, nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, and diarrhea. Depending on the drug, some people may also experience tingling or numbness in the arms and legs, hair loss, and mouth sores. Because some drugs can damage blood cells, a person may experience anemia (low red blood cell counts) and/or an increased risk of infection (low white blood cell counts). These health side effects usually go away once treatment is finished.
During chemotherapy, a person may lose his or her appetite or
develop an aversion to the taste or smell of food. Consider talking
with a registered dietitian, who can give suggestions about meal
planning and managing side effects through simple nutritional changes.
And, learn about using nutrition to manage side effects. Find ways to manage common side effects.
Fortunately, many new drugs do not cause the same, severe side
effects as some older chemotherapy. And, medications that reduce side
effects caused by chemotherapy are available. Before treatment begins,
talk with your doctor or nurse about the possible side effects of the
specific type and dose of chemotherapy you’ve been prescribed and how
to prevent or relieve side effects if they do occur health wise.
Many people are concerned about the side effects of chemotherapy, both during treatment and many years later (called long-term or late
effects). Once treatment is finished, ask your doctor or nurse for a
summary of your treatment, such as the drugs and doses used, and any
side effects you experienced. Having this information will help a
doctor determine if a future health problem is related to the cancer
treatment.
Some people don't experience side effects at all health wise, and you are unlikely to experience all the side effects you read about below. Although chemotherapy is designed to treat cancer cells; unfortunately, it often affects parts of your body not directly affected by the cancer itself. This undesired result is referred to as a complication of treatment, or a side effects.
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<<RADIATION THERAPY SIDE EFFECTS
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Health: Goals of Chemotherapy (Chemo - Cancer)
The primary goal of chemotherapy is to successfully treat the cancer and keep it from recurring (returning). If eliminating the cancer completely is not possible with chemotherapy, controlling the disease and preventing it from spreading becomes the priority. If the cancer is advanced and chemotherapy is not effective in controlling cancer spread, chemotherapy may still be effective at decreasing the size of the tumor and reducing the symptoms caused by the cancer, an approach called palliation, or palliative therapy.
Chemotherapy may also be given as a neoadjuvant treatment, which means that it is used to shrink a larger tumor before surgery or radiation therapy. Often, chemotherapy is used as an adjuvant therapy to destroy cancer cells that have been left behind after radiation therapy or surgery.
Health: How Chemotherapy is Administered (Chemo - Cancer)
Chemotherapy is given in different ways. The drugs may be swallowed, injected into a vein, smoothed onto the skin, or infused into a certain area of the body. How the chemotherapy is given depends on the patient's cancer type, the physical location of the cancer, and the properties of the drug.
A patient may receive chemotherapy as an inpatient or outpatient of a hospital, in a doctor's office, or at home/work depending upon how the drugs are administered (given).
Health: How Chemotherapy is Used to Treat Cancer (Chemo - Cancer)
More than 100 drugs are available to treat cancer. Often, oncologists (doctors who specialize in the health care and treatment of people with cancer) will combine drugs to more effectively treat a patient's cancer.
The selection of cancer treatment depends on many factors, such as the characteristics of the disease, including type and stage (describes the size and location of the tumor and whether it has spread), as well as the patient's overall health, age, presence of other medical conditions, and previous cancer treatments.
Chemotherapy is given in cycles of medication and recovery to allow the noncancerous cells to heal. A course of chemotherapy consists of several cycles. Recently, researchers have been studying the effect of giving drugs more often with less of a recovery time in what is known as a dose-dense schedule. This schedule appears to have some benefit over the standard treatment schedule, but the differences have not been dramatic. Patients may consider discussing this schedule with their doctors.
Health: Chemotherapy as a Systemic Treatment (Chemo - Cancer)
The term chemotherapy has been used loosely to describe other systemic treatments that target properties of cancer cells other than uncontrolled growth. These newer therapies often have fewer side effects and are usually used in combination with conventional chemotherapy.
There are four main types of systemic therapy other than conventional chemotherapy:
- Hormonal therapy: Hormones or hormone-like drugs block the effect
of the body's natural hormones. This therapy can control or reverse
growth of breast, prostate, and uterine cancer.
- Targeted therapy: Cancer researchers have developed new drugs that
specifically recognize unique characteristics of cancer cells, such as
proteins that allow cancer cells to grow and spread.
- Immunotherapy: Immunotherapy (also called biologic therapy)
stimulates or mimics the immune system to fight cancer.
- Anti-Angiogenesis Agents: Rather than targeting the cancer cells directly, anti-angiogenic agents prevent new blood vessels from providing nutrients to cancer cells, essentially starving the tumor.
Health: Why Chemotherapy Causes Side Effects (Chemo - Cancer)
Chemotherapy is designed to slow actively growing cancer cells;
however, these drugs do not distinguish between an actively growing
cancer cell and an actively growing healthy body cell. Side effects
occur when the chemotherapy disrupts the healthy cells that maintain
the body's appearance and function. Many patients experience side
effects, but many of these unintended health problems can be managed and
disappear once chemotherapy is completed.
Side effects are often treatable, and you are encouraged to talk with
your doctor if you experience any side effects. It is important to
understand that chemotherapy is easier to tolerate today than even a
few years ago. Experiencing side effects does not mean the treatment is
working better. Similarly, the absence of side effects does not mean
that the treatment is not working. Furthermore, chemotherapy can be
very effective in treating cancer and relieving cancer symptoms and the
potential of side effects should not deter a patient from getting
chemotherapy.
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Health: Side Effects of Chemotherapy (Chemo - Cancer)
Below is a list of side effects that chemotherapy may cause. Not everyone gets every side effect. Which ones you have will depend on the type and dose of your chemotherapy and whether you have other health problems, such as diabetes or heart disease.
Anemia Effects
Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout your body. Anemia is when you have too few red blood cells to carry the oxygen your body needs. Your heart works harder when your body does not get enough oxygen. This can make it feel like your heart is pounding or beating very fast. Anemia can also make you feel short of breath, weak, dizzy, faint, or very tired.
Some types of chemotherapy cause anemia because they make it harder for bone marrow to produce new red blood cells.- Your level of fatigue changes or you are not able to do your usual activities
- You feel dizzy or like you are going to faint
- You feel short of breath
- It feels like your heart is pounding or beating very fast
Appetite Effects:
Chemotherapy can cause appetite changes. You may lose your appetite because of nausea (feeling like you are going to throw up), mouth and throat problems that make it painful to eat, or drugs that cause you to lose your taste for food. They can also come from feeling depressed or tired. Appetite loss may last for a day, a few weeks, or even months.
It is important to eat well, even when you have no appetite. This means eating and drinking foods that have plenty of protein, vitamins, and calories. Eating well helps your body fight infection and repair tissues that are damaged by chemotherapy. Not eating well can lead to weight loss, weakness, and fatigue.
Some cancer treatments cause weight gain or an increase in your appetite. Be sure to ask your doctor, nurse, or dietitian what types of appetite changes you might expect and how to manage them.
Bleeding Effects
Platelets are cells that make your blood clot when you bleed. Chemotherapy can lower the number of platelets because it affects your bone marrow's ability to make them. A low platelet count is called thrombocytopenia. This condition may cause bruises (even when you have not been hit or have not bumped into anything), bleeding from your nose or in your mouth, or a rash of tiny, red dots.
- Bruises, especially if you did not bump into anything
- Small, red spots on your skin
- Red- or pink-colored urine
- Black or bloody bowel movements
- Bleeding from your gums or nose
- Heavy bleeding during your menstrual period or a prolonged period
- Vaginal bleeding not caused by your period
- Headaches or changes in your vision
- A warm or hot feeling in your arm or leg
- Feeling very sleepy or confused
Constipation Effects
Constipation is when bowel movements become less frequent and stools are hard, dry, and difficult to pass. You may have painful bowel movements and feel bloated or nauseous. You may belch, pass a lot of gas, and have stomach cramps or pressure in the rectum.
Drugs such as chemotherapy and pain medicine can cause constipation. It can also happen when people are not active and spend a lot of time sitting or lying down. Constipation can also be due to eating foods that are low in fiber or not drinking enough fluids.
Diarrhea Effects
Diarrhea is frequent bowel movements that may be soft, loose, or watery. Chemotherapy can cause diarrhea because it harms healthy cells that line your large and small bowel. It may also speed up your bowels. Diarrhea can also be caused by infections or drugs used to treat constipation.
Fatigue Effects
Fatigue from chemotherapy can range from a mild to extreme feeling of being tired. Many people describe fatigue as feeling weak, weary, worn out, heavy, or slow. Resting does not always help.
Many people say they feel fatigue during chemotherapy and even for weeks or months after treatment is over. Fatigue can be caused by the type of chemotherapy, the effort of making frequent visits to the doctor, or feelings such as stress, anxiety, and depression. If you receive radiation therapy along with chemotherapy, your fatigue may be more severe.
Fatigue can also be cause by:
- Anemia
- Pain
- Medications
- Appetite changes
- trouble sleeping
- Lack of activity
- Trouble breathing
- Infection
- Doing too much at one time
- Other medical problems
Fatigue can happen all at once or little by little. People feel fatigue in different ways. You may feel more or less fatigue than someone else who gets the same type of chemotherapy.
Hair Loss Effects
Hair loss (also called alopecia is when some or all of your hair falls out. This can happen anywhere on your body: your head, face, arms, legs, underarms, or the pubic area between your legs. Many people are upset by the loss of their hair and find it the most difficult part of chemotherapy.
Some types of chemotherapy damage the cells that cause hair growth. Hair loss often starts 2 to 3 weeks after chemotherapy begins. Your scalp may hurt at first. Then you may lose your hair, either a little at a time or in clumps. It takes about 1 week for all your hair to fall out. Almost always, your hair will grow back 2 to 3 months after chemotherapy is over. You may notice that your hair starts growing back even while you are getting chemotherapy.
Your hair will be very fine when it starts growing back. Also, your new hair may not look or feel the same as it did before. For instance, your hair may be thin instead of thick, curly instead of straight, and darker or lighter in color.
Infection Effects
Some types of chemotherapy make it harder for your bone marrow to produce new white blood cells. White blood cells help your body fight infection. Therefore, it is important to avoid infections, since chemotherapy decreases the number of your white blood cells.
There are many types of white blood cells. One type is called neutrophil. When your neutrophil count is low, it is called neutropenia. Your doctor or health care provider may do blood tests to find out whether you have neutropenia.
It is important to watch for signs of infection when you have neutropenia. Check for fever at least once a day, or as often as your doctor or nurse tells you to. You may find it best to use a digital thermometer. Call your doctor or health care provider if your temperature is 100.5°F or higher.
Other signs of infection include:
- Redness
- Swelling
- Rash
- Chills
- Cough
- Earache
- Headache
- Stiff neck
- Bloody or cloudy urine
- Painful or frequent need to urinate
- Sinus pain or pressure
Some types of chemotherapy can cause infertility. For a woman, this means that you may not be able to get pregnant. For a man, this means you may not be able to get a woman pregnant.
In women, chemotherapy may damage the ovaries. This damage can lower the number of healthy eggs in the ovaries. It can also lower the hormones produced by them. The drop in hormones can lead to early menopause. Early menopause and fewer healthy eggs can cause infertility.
In men, chemotherapy may damage sperm cells, which grow and divide quickly. Infertility may
occur because chemotherapy can lower the number of sperm, make sperm less able to move,
or cause other types of damage health wise.
Whether or not you become infertile depends on the type of chemotherapy you get, your age,
and whether you have other health problems. Infertility can last the rest of your life.
Women talk to your doctor or health care provider about:
- Whether you want to have children. Before you start
chemotherapy, let your doctor or health care provider know if you might
want to get pregnant in the future. He or she may talk with
you about ways to preserve your eggs to use after treatment
ends or refer you to a fertility specialist.
- Birth control. It is very important that you do not get pregnant while getting
chemotherapy. These drugs can hurt the fetus, especially in the first 3 months of
pregnancy. If you have not yet gone through menopause, talk with your doctor or health care provider
about birth control and ways to keep from getting pregnant.
- Pregnancy. If you still have menstrual periods, your doctor or nurse may ask you to have a pregnancy test before you start chemotherapy. If you are pregnant, your doctor or health care provider will talk with you about other treatment options.
- Whether you want to have children. Before you start
chemotherapy, let your doctor or health care provider know if you might want
to father children in the future. He or she may talk with you
about ways to preserve your sperm to use in the future or refer
you to a fertility specialist.
- Birth control. It is very important that your spouse or partner not get pregnant while you are getting chemotherapy. Chemotherapy can damage your sperm and cause birth defects.
Mouth and Throat Effects:
Some types of chemotherapy harm fast-growing cells, such as those that line your mouth, throat, and lips. This can affect your teeth, gums, the lining of your mouth, and the glands that make saliva. Most mouth problems go away a few days after chemotherapy is over.
Mouth and throat problems may include:
- Dry mouth (having little or no saliva)
- Changes in taste and smell (such as when food tastes
like metal or chalk, has no taste, or does not taste or smell like it
used to)
- Infections of your gums, teeth, or tongue
- Increased sensitivity to hot or cold foods
- Mouth sores
- Trouble eating when your mouth gets very sore
Nausea and Vomiting Effects
Some types of chemotherapy can cause nausea, vomiting, or both. Nausea is when you feel sick to your stomach, like you are going to throw up. Vomiting is when you throw up. You may also have dry heaves, which is when your body tries to vomit even though your stomach is empty.
Nausea and vomiting can occur while you are getting chemotherapy, right after, or many hours or days later. You will most likely feel better on the days you do not get chemotherapy.
New drugs can help prevent nausea and vomiting. These are called antiemetic or antinausea drugs. You may need to take these drugs 1 hour before each chemotherapy treatment and for a few days after. How long you take them after chemotherapy will depend on the type of chemotherapy you are getting and how you react to it. If one antinausea drug does not work well for you, your doctor can prescribe a different one. You may need to take more than one type of drug to help with nausea. Acupuncture may also help. Talk with your doctor or health care provider about treatments to control nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy.
Nervous System and Muscle Effects:
Chemotherapy can cause damage to your nervous system and muscles. Many nervous system problems get better within a year of when you finish chemotherapy, but some may last the rest of your life. Symptoms may include:
- Tingling, burning, weakness, or numbness in your hands or feet
- Feeling colder than normal
- Pain when walking
- Weak, sore, tired, or achy muscles
- Being clumsy and losing your balance
- Trouble picking up objects or buttoning your clothes
- Shaking or trembling
- Hearing loss
- Stomach pain, such as constipation or heartburn
- Fatigue
- Confusion and memory problems
- Dizziness
- Depression
- Stiff neck
- Headache
- Visual problems
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Natural Alternative Treatment: NATURAL CANCER TREATMENT
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Pain Effects
Some types of chemotherapy cause painful side effects. These include burning, numbness, and tingling or shooting pains in your hands and feet. Mouth sores, headaches, muscle pains, and stomach pains can also occur.
Pain can be caused by the cancer itself or by chemotherapy. Doctors
and health care providers have ways to decrease or relieve your pain.
Sexual Changes Effects
Some types of chemotherapy can cause sexual changes. These changes are different for women and men.
In women, chemotherapy may damage the ovaries, which can cause changes in hormone levels. Hormone changes can lead to problems like vaginal dryness and early menopause.
In men, chemotherapy can cause changes in hormone levels, decreased blood supply to the penis, or damage to the nerves that control the penis, all of which can lead to impotence.
Whether or not you have sexual changes during chemotherapy depends on if you have had these problems before, the type of chemotherapy you are getting, your age, and whether you have any other illnesses. Some health problems, such as loss of interest in sex, are likely to improve once chemotherapy is over.
Health problems for women include:
- Symptoms of menopause (for women not yet in menopause). These symptoms include:
- Hot flashes
- Vaginal dryness
- Feeling irritable
- Irregular or no menstrual periods
- Bladder or vaginal infections
- Vaginal discharge or itching
- Being too tired to have sex or not being interested in having sex
- Feeling too worried, stressed, or depressed to have sex
Health problems for men include:
- Not being able to reach climax
- Impotence (not being able to get or keep an erection)
- Being too tired to have sex or not being interested in having sex
- Feeling too worried, stressed, or depressed to have sex
Skin and Nail Effects
Some types of chemotherapy can damage the fast-growing cells in your skin and nails. While these changes may be painful and annoying, most are minor and do not require treatment. Many of them will get better once you have finished chemotherapy. However, major skin changes need to be treated right away because they can cause life-long damage.
Minor skin changes may include:
- Itching, dryness, redness, rashes, and peeling
- Darker veins. Your veins may look darker when you get chemotherapy through an IV.
- Sensitivity to the sun (when you burn very quickly). This can happen even to people who have very dark skin color.
- Nail problems. This is when your nails become dark, turn yellow, or become brittle and cracked. Sometimes your nails will loosen and fall off, but new nails will grow back in.
- Radiation recall. Some chemotherapy causes skin in the area where you had radiation
therapy to turn red (ranging from very light to bright red). Your skin may blister, peel, or
be very painful.
- Chemotherapy leaking from your IV. You need to let your doctor or health care provider know right away
if you have burning or pain when you get IV chemotherapy.
- Allergic reactions to chemotherapy. Some skin changes mean that you are allergic to the chemotherapy. Let your doctor or health care provider know right away if you have sudden and severe itching, rashes, or hives, along with wheezing or other trouble breathing.
Urinary, Kidney, and Bladder Effects:
Some types of chemotherapy damage cells in the kidneys and bladder. Health problems may include:
- Burning or pain when you begin to urinate or after you empty your bladder
- Frequent, more urgent need to urinate
- Not being able to urinate
- Not able to control the flow of urine from the bladder (incontinence)
- Blood in the urine
- Fever
- Chills
- Urine that is orange, red, green, or dark yellow or has a strong medicine odor
Some kidney and bladder problems will go away after you finish chemotherapy. Other health problems can last for the rest of your life.
Flu-like symptoms
Some types of chemotherapy can make you feel like you have the flu. This is more likely to happen if you get chemotherapy along with biological therapy.
Flu-like symptoms may include:
- Muscle and joint aches
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Fever
- Chills
- Appetite loss
These symptoms may last from 1 to 3 days. An infection or the cancer itself can also cause them. Let your doctor or health care provider know if you have any of these symptoms.
Fluid retention is a buildup of fluid caused by chemotherapy, hormone changes caused by treatment, or your cancer. It can cause your face, hands, feet, or stomach to feel swollen and puffy. Sometimes fluid builds up around your lungs and heart, causing coughing, shortness of breath, or an irregular heart beat. Fluid can also build up in the lower part of your belly, which can cause bloating.
- Trouble wearing contact lenses. Some types of chemotherapy can bother your eyes and
make wearing contact lenses painful. Ask your doctor or health care provider if you can wear contact
lenses while getting chemotherapy.
- Blurry vision. Some types of chemotherapy can clog your tear ducts, which can cause
blurry vision.
- Watery eyes. Sometimes, chemotherapy can seep out in your tears, which can cause your eyes to water more than usual.
If your vision gets blurry or your eyes water more than usual, tell your doctor or health care provider.
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<< RADIATION THERAPY SIDE EFFECTS
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Sources: NIH News In Health/National Institutes of Health/National Library of Medicine/Dept of Health and Human Services______________________________________________________________________________________________________
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