1st chemo treatment side effects

During the TEACH session with a nurse before I began treatment, she gave me a list of all the usual side effects of chemo — things you expected like hair loss and weight loss — but there were some side effects she never mentioned, some that were worse than others. I learned about them the hard way. My oncologist told me that chemotherapy kills fast-growing cells in your body. He said that although my cancer—made of fast-growing cells—was the ultimate target, that other things would be harmed along the way. Before my diagnosis, I knew that our body sloughs off dead cells all the time. Old skin cells are constantly replaced with new ones. Because of that, cancer patients often have skin issues. Dermatological lotions are recommended. I also knew that our mouths and tongues are constantly turning over new cells, especially tongues. What happened to me doesn’t happen to every cancer patient, but some might experience it. I hope you don’t. Thanksgiving came right after my second or third cycle of week-long hospitalizations for chemotherapy treatment. The chemicals were starting to take their negative toll on my body. On the two-day drive to spend Thanksgiving with my wife’s parents, my tongue started hurting. At first, the sensation was mild. By the next morning, it hurt to move my mouth, especially to speak or eat. I spent the day sitting in the car silently so as to avoid the pain. My wife would tell you it was the first time she ever knew me not to prattle. I imagine she enj...

While on chemo, you may need to avoid certain foods, including raw and undercooked foods, and beverages, such as alcohol. Habits like staying active may help support your treatment. Chemotherapy is a type of cancer treatment. It works by using strong drugs to slow or stop the growth of cancer cells, which grow and divide more quickly than many healthy cell types. However, it’s still possible for chemotherapy to target healthy cells that also divide quickly. Some examples include cells in the digestive tract, When this happens, it can lead to We’ll explore nine things to avoid during chemotherapy treatment. Then, we’ll discuss a few things that are important to do during chemotherapy as well as how to find support. First, let’s explore some things not to do during 1. Contact with body fluids after treatment Your body typically breaks down and passes chemotherapy drugs during the Because chemotherapy drugs can affect healthy cells, coming into contact with them in various body fluids can be potentially harmful to yourself or others. That’s why it’s a good idea to avoid contact with body fluids that may contain them. Here are a few tips for a avoiding contact: • Wash your hands. Thoroughly wash and dry your hands after using the bathroom or after coming into contact with any body fluids that may contain chemotherapy drugs. • Flush twice. Flush the toilet twice after using the bathroom, and make sure that the lid is down to prevent splashing. • Wash soiled fabrics. Promptly wa...

Share on Pinterest BSIP/UIG/Getty Images Not all chemotherapy treatment plans have the same goal. Chemotherapy can be used with the intent to: • treat cancer • control or shrink a tumor • relieve pain caused by a tumor There are many types of chemotherapy drugs, and some are more effective at treating specific types of cancer than others. In this article, we’ll help explain what to expect with chemotherapy and we’ll also look at some factors that may determine how long chemo treatment takes. Just as there are different goals of chemotherapy, there are also different methods of administering chemo drugs. Oral Some chemotherapy drugs are available in pill, capsule, or liquid form that you take at home. Not having to go in for infusions is an advantage, but Topical Certain Intravenous Many chemotherapy drugs are given intravenously. For an When a drug needs to get into the bloodstream quickly, it’s injected directly into the catheter. This is called an IV push. When a slower speed is necessary, the infusion is controlled by a pump you carry with you. That’s called a continuous infusion. Chemo infusions and injections can also be administered other ways, including: • into muscles or skin • into spinal fluid, arteries, or organs • directly into a tumor Unless your oncology team says otherwise, you should block out several hours for a chemotherapy infusion. Before the infusion can begin, a few other things must happen. First, your oncology nurse will check your vital signs, bloo...

The information below describes side effects that might be caused by traditional or standard chemotherapy. There are also other drugs that are used to treat cancer in different ways, including Why does chemo cause side effects? Cancer cells tend to grow fast, and chemo drugs kill fast-growing cells. But because these drugs travel throughout the body, they can affect normal, healthy cells that are fast-growing, too. Damage to healthy cells causes side effects. Side effects are not always as bad as you might expect, but it's normal to worry about this part of cancer treatment. The normal cells most likely to be damaged by chemo are: • Blood-forming cells in the bone marrow • Hair follicles • Cells in the mouth, digestive tract, and reproductive system Some chemo drugs can damage cells in the heart, kidneys, bladder, lungs, and nervous system. Sometimes, you can take medicines with the chemo to help protect your body’s normal cells. There are also treatments to help relieve side effects. Doctors try to give chemo at levels high enough to treat cancer, while keeping side effects at a minimum. They also try to avoid using multiple drugs that have similar side effects. What do I need to know about side effects? • Every person doesn’t get every side effect, and some people get few, if any. • The severity of side effects (how bad they are) varies greatly from person to person. Be sure to talk to your cancer care team about which side effects are most common with your chemo, how lo...

Share on Pinterest Cavan Images/Getty Images Chemotherapy, or chemo, is a type of drug that’s used to treat cancer. It works by stopping the division and growth of cancer cells. • type of cancer • stage of cancer • type of chemotherapy used These factors also determine the number of cycles and the entire duration of the treatment. The total duration depends on other factors as well, including: • how long your body needs to recover between cycles • how long the effects of chemotherapy last • how your body responds to chemotherapy To learn how long chemotherapy takes, read on. This article will cover the estimated duration of chemo, along with how to prepare for the actual treatment. One course of chemo treatment may last between 3 to 6 months. Typically, one course consists of several on-and-off cycles. One cycle usually lasts 2 to 6 weeks. Within each cycle, there are multiple treatment sessions. The sessions might take place once a day, week, or month. The duration of each session depends on its form. Here’s how long different types of intravenous (IV) chemo take: • Injection. A syringe is used to deliver the drug in a few minutes. • IV infusion. The drug flows into your body over a period lasting several minutes to several hours. • Continuous infusion. A continuous infusion takes a day to several days. Oral and topical chemotherapy are less time-consuming. That’s because they can be done at home on your own. In • liquid • pill • capsule Topical chemo is an ointment or ge...