The side effects you may get will depend on the type and dose of chemotherapy you get. Learn the side effects you might face and how you can handle them. Not all mouth problems can be avoided but the fewer side effects you have, the more likely you will stay on your cancer treatment schedule. What are the side effects of chemotherapy treatment. While chemotherapy fights your cancer, the drugs you take can affect how you feel. Side effects from chemotherapy can be divided into shortterm effects and longterm effects. Heres a list of many of the common side effects, but its unlikely youll have all of these.
Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to destroy cancer cells. Chemotherapy and your mouth national institute of dental. Many side effects occur because chemotherapy targets rapidly dividing cells, both normal and abnormal. Advice for managing the side effects of chemotherapy cancer. However, most people have some symptoms because of the treatment. Fec is a combination treatment used to treat breast cancer. These drugs usually work by killing dividing cells. Some cancer treatments cause peripheral neuropathy, a result of damage to the peripheral nerves. Chemotherapy side effects the information below describes side effects that might be caused by traditional or standard chemotherapy. Mouth, tongue, and throat problems such as sores and pain with swallowing. Dry mouth and mouth sores that form on the tongue, lips, gums, or in the throat can make it difficult to chew and swallow. Not everyone experience chemotherapy side effects the same way.
When chemotherapy damages normal cells, this causes side effects. Chemotherapy is associated with numerous severe side effects, which include immediate signs of toxicity and late signs of chronic toxicity 4,5. Most chemotherapy side effects go away shortly after youve finished chemotherapy. I have breast cancer and am on an 8 cycle course of chemo ac for the first 4 cycles and then t for the final 4 it is now the day after my first dose and apart from feeling tired and a bit nauseous i dont feel so bad. Chemotherapy side effects background aims data methods aim 1 aim 2 aim 3 conclusions chemotherapy side effects can. F sore mouth or gums pain or swelling in the gums swollen, inflamed or pusfilled skin sores sinus or ear infections cough and shortness of breath with fever irritation. Not all chemotherapy drugs have the same side effects and the severity of those. The effects of the drugs on healthy cells can cause side effects like tiredness or feeling sick. What are side effects from chemotherapy to treat lung cancer. Side effects not requiring immediate medical attention.
Many different kinds of medicines are used to cure or control the growth and spread of. In some cases, you can have chemotherapy treatment at home. Chemotherapy can produce side effects in some but not. Understanding and managing chemotherapy side effects cancercare. Thus, the general side effects of chemotherapy include bone marrow suppression, gastrointestinal problems nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and alopecia. Its difficult to predict what side effects youll get. Side effects of chemotherapy canadian cancer society. To the best of our knowledge, how one single exercise session during chemotherapy affects energy, stress, nausea and pain has not been studied in patients with breast cancer.
The goal of chemotherapy is to eliminate the cancer cells, while minimizing the negative effect on normal, healthy. What are the short and long term side effects of chemotherapy. Consider preparing a list of questions about side effects to ask your health care team so that you. Understanding chemotherapy cancer council australia. Anticancer chemotherapy in teenagers and young adults. Chemotherapy affects all cells that grow and divide quickly in the body. Critical side effects associated with chemotherapy used in cancer. Some of the most common side effects of chemotherapy affect digestion. When you and your doctor are deciding on a chemotherapy regimen, weighing the benefits versus the side effects is part of the process. It usually works by keeping the cancer cells from growing, dividing, and making more cells. You may experience some, all, or none of these side effects.
Often, side effects get better or go away after chemotherapy is over. Side effects are caused when the chemotherapy damages rapidly dividing healthy cells. The type of chemo drugs you use can affect your experience try these tips to help manage some common. To assess patient perceptions of cse, their impact on qol and doctorpatient communication regarding these aspects, a survey was conducted among italian cancer patients. However fatigue, nausea and pain are common, and they could be a barrier to exercise 17, 18. Unfortunately, this means that chemo can unintentionally harm the development of normal cells such as your hair, nails, mouth and digestive tract. Chemotherapy can help fight cancer, but it also has side effects. Managing the side effects of chemotherapy university health. Because cancer cells usually grow and divide faster than normal cells, chemotherapy has more of an effect on cancer cells. Fec is named after the initials of the drugs used for this treatment. Moreover these side effects are not only caused by cancer itself but also from the chemotherapy treatment which is used for it and the most critical. When you and your doctor are deciding on a chemotherapy regimen, weighing the benefits versus the side effects. Chemotherapy or chemo is a type of cancer treatment that uses drugs to destroy cancer cells.
Shortterm effects typically occur during the course of treatment and generally resolve within months of the completion of therapy. More specifically, this therapy is administered to destruct cancer cells. Unfortunately chemotherapy drugs do not differentiate between killing tumor cells and normal cells. However, a few people may develop serious lasting side effects such as a weakened heart or secondary cancers, such as leukemia, after chemotherapy. Damage to sensory nerves nerves that help you feel pain, heat, cold, and pressure.
Still, some side effects may take several months or longer to go away completely. Side effects depend on which peripheral nerves sensory, motor, or autonomic are affected. Cancer treatment side effects cancer institute nsw. In this study, we defined acute side effects of chemotherapy as reversible adverse events that occurs secondary to administration of chemotherapy. Before you start chemotherapy, a doctor, a nurse or pharmacist will tell you about the medicines you will get and the side effects you may have. Cancer patients response to chemotherapy teaching on side. However, it may also include some antibiotics along with other medications for treating severe infection or illness. It is this damage to normal cells that may cause side effects. The efficacy of chemotherapy is often limited by side effects in normal tissues. There are also other drugs that are used to treat cancer in different ways, including targeted therapy1, hormone therapy, and immunotherapy2. If you have any more questions, ask your doctor or nurse.
Headaches muscle pain stomach pain pain from nerve damage, such as b. Not everyone having chemotherapy will suffer unpleasant side effects. Since cancer cells have lost many of the regulatory functions present in normal cells, they will continue to attempt to divide when other cells do not. Different chemotherapy drugs have different short term and long term side effects and certainly not all chemotherapy drugs cause every side effect.
Chemotherapy can cause cardiac effects early in treatment, but in some cases, the effects may not show up until much later. Guswiler the purpose of this descriptive study was to investigate patients responses to chemotherapy teaching on drug side effects and side effect management. Cancer cells tend to grow fast, and chemo drugs kill fastgrowing cells. Longer term side effects of chemotherapy with more sophisticated anticancer drugs and treatment approaches, lingering side effects are much rarer today than they were in the past. Managing side effects of chemotherapy moffitt cancer center. Chemotherapy side effects cse have a strong impact on patients quality of life qol. Feeling tired or having little energy is a common side effect of many types of chemotherapy. Chemotherapy can cause nausea feeling sick to your stomach and vomiting throwing up. Pdf side effects of chemotherapy among cancer patients. After a chemotherapy session, call your doctor or nurse if you notice any of these side effects of chemotherapy. Table 1 lists shortterm and longterm effects of adjuvant chemotherapy. Side effects of cancer treatment side effects of cancer treatment this fact sheet is about some of the main side effects of cancer treatment.
Reactive marrow therapy effects chemotherapy regenerative changes published date. Anemia low red blood cell counts nausea and vomiting. Impact on patients physical wellbeing impact on patients quality of life qol potentiallyyp impact on cancer survival be expensive to manage. With this drug, a possible longterm side effect is weakening of the heart muscle, resulting in a decreased ability to pump blood through the body heart failure. Department of clinical haematology coping with the side.
In general, chemotherapy damages cells that are dividing, so the parts of the body where normal cells divide frequently are likely to be affected by chemotherapy. The right medications given before and after each dose of chemotherapy can usually prevent nausea and vomiting. We cannot give advice about the best treatment for you, but. Many patients continue with their life activities while coping with these side effects. Side effects often happen because a persons mouth is not healthy before chemotherapy starts. The information below describes side effects that might be caused by traditional or standard chemotherapy. It is best to read this information with our general information about chemotherapy and breast cancer. Fatigue is feeling tired or exhausted almost all the time.
Possible chemotherapy side effects your nurse will go over this information with you and tell you which side effects you may have. Some side effects of oxaliplatin may occur that usually do not need medical attention. This leaflet contains a range of the most common side effects that can occur. That is the conclusion of a study published today in the journal of biology. Side effects of cancer treatment macmillan cancer support.
But sometimes your doctor or nurse may change your chemotherapy schedule due to side effects you are having. Managing your chemotherapy side effects this information will help you manage the side effects from your chemotherapy. Concepts of selfcare from orems theory of selfcare deficits provided the conceptual framework. Pdf side effects of chemotherapy in cancer patients and. If you are applying for financial assistance, all correspondence must be done electronically through email or fax. Simply put, chemotherapy kills rapidly dividing cells. Read and download community member tips for chemotherapy treatment pdf. The high prevalence of chemotherapy related side effects among local patients is a major concern and. Potential longterm side effects of exposure to chemo. Side effects of chemotherapy cancer council victoria. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects.
The frequency and severity of side effects vary considerably. Chemotherapy works by stopping or slowing the growth of cancer cells, which grow and divide quickly. Jan 19, 2016 this is especially true for chemotherapy. Because of this, there may be many side effects during treatment. Get ready for possible side effects of chemotherapy mayo. One notable example is heart damage following treatment with adriamycin doxorubicin. These nerves carry information from the brain to other parts of the body. Sometimes a short stay in hospital is necessary if it is a longer or more complex chemotherapy treatment. Healthy cells can also be affected by chemotherapy treatments. Whether you have these side effects, and how much, depends on the specific drugs and dose. Chemotherapy drugs go through your bloodstream and can affect your whole body. These healthy cells can include cells in the bone marrow that make blood, cells in the lining of the gut and mouth, and hair cells. Neuropathy is a side effect of chemotherapy that may lessen gradually or could persist depending on the type of chemo, dosage and length of treatment.
Chemotherapy can cause unpleasant side effects, although many can be treated or prevented, and most will pass once your treatment stops. Side effects of chemotherapy memorial sloan kettering cancer center. This includes cancer cells and normal cells, such as the new blood cells in the bone marrow or the cells in the mouth, stomach, skin, hair and reproductive organs. Help is available if you are coping with side effects of chemotherapy, which may include hair loss, nausea, fatigue, and cognitive changes. Chemotherapy usually affects all fastgrowing cells. Feb 04, 20 the unexpected side effects of chemotherapy undergoing chemotherapy is an unpleasant and often disruptive experience that can radically transform a cancer patients life. Common side effects from chemotherapy and nursing interventions. Researchers detail chemotherapys damage to the brain.
Some people will only have a few side effects and others may have. There are also other drugs that are used to treat cancer in different ways, including targeted therapy, hormone therapy, and immunotherapy. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Side effects of chemotherapy in cancer patients and evaluation of patients opinion about starvation based differential chemotherapy article pdf available in journal of cancer therapy 55. However, while it destroys cancer cells, it can also have adverse effects. But it can also harm healthy cells that divide quickly, such as those that line your mouth and intestines or cause your hair to grow. Side effects of chemotherapy among cancer patients research in pharmacy. Pdf on mar 3, 2014, kavitha mani and others published side effects of chemotherapy among patients receiving chemotherapy find, read and cite all the research you need on researchgate. Tell your doctor if you have any bruising or bleeding that you cant explain. Their intensity can be mild grade 1, moderate grade 2, severe grade 3, or lifethreatening or disabling grade 4, according to the who classification. Many people feel concerned about the side effects of chemotherapy, but most side effects are temporary and they can often be controlled or reduced. Fec is a chemotherapy treatment used to treat breast cancer.
Certain chemotherapy drugs may be given in a specific order depending on the type of cancer it is being used to treat. There are many different chemotherapy regimes, some having specific side effects. The side effects vary depending on the drugs used, and they also vary from one individual to another. Learn how doctors may use topical chemotherapy for a short period and then stop for a period of time to let the skin heal with information from a doctor in this free video on chemotherapy. Potential longterm side effects of exposure to chemo free download as powerpoint presentation. Chemotherapy side effects vomiting, hair loss, nerve. Start studying common side effects from chemotherapy and nursing interventions. This guide provides links and references to reliable and current. Low blood cell counts happen because of chemotherapys effect on blood cells made in the bone marrow. Jul 11, 2018 side effects from chemotherapy are usually shortterm and go away after youre done with treatment. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. While chemotherapy can be quite effective in treating certain cancers, chemotherapy drugs reach all parts of the body, not just the cancer cells. Chemotherapy is a widely used treatment for cancer. As well as destroying cancer cells, they also cause damage to normal cells.
But chemo also damages healthy cells that divide quickly. Chemotherapy information guide rogel cancer center. The cancercare connect booklet series offers uptodate, easytoread information on the latest treatments, managing side effects and coping with cancer. Common side effects chemotherapy can cause fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, bowel issues such as constipation or diarrhoea, hair loss, mouth sores, skin and nail problems. Not all chemotherapy drugs have the same side effects and the severity of those side effects is different with each person, drug and dose. The sideeffects and longterm sequelae of anticancer chemotherapy remain a major source of concern for both patients and clinicians despite. Side effects of cancer treatment bruising and bleeding chemotherapy, targeted therapies and sometimes surgery can reduce the number of platelets in your blood. Chemotherapy is usually given during the day as an outpatient in a hospital or treatment centre. Coping with the side effects of chemotherapy oxford university. This is exemplified by cisplatin, a widely used anticancer drug that may induce serious toxicity in normal tissues. What are the possible side effects of chemotherapy. Chemotherapy can be an effective way of treating cancer. However, the drugs used for chemotherapy are powerful, and they can still cause damage to healthy cells. We have listed other helpful information from macmillan on.
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