Side Effects Of Cancer Treatment
Cancer is a disease that offers many treatment options. However, patients often have doubts about their side effects. You will learn more about it in this article.
Most patients who are diagnosed with cancer have doubts about the side effects of treatment for this disease. When seeking professional help for cancer treatment, some people tend to document themselves with information found on the internet.
Once the available information has been explored, the question arises: what are the side effects of cancer treatment? To answer this, it is important to stress that cancer is a term used to refer to a group of diseases.
Although they may all have some common characteristics, the majority of them have their own mechanisms of origin and proliferation in our body. These differences require creating treatments that best adapt to each type of cancer.
Indeed, there are several types of cancer treatment, but for the purposes of this article we will mention the following:
- Surgery
- Chemotherapy
- Radiotherapy
Side effects of cancer treatment: surgery
Although most of the side effects of surgery are associated with the organ in question as well as the mode of operation, we can discuss some adverse reactions associated with all types of surgery.
Pain
It is common to feel pain in the part of the body that has just been operated on. The intensity of this pain will depend on the extent of the surgery, the area of the body being operated on, and the person’s sensitivity to painful stimuli. In addition, the pain can be controlled with pain relievers prescribed by the doctor.
Wound infection
The surgery involves cuts on our skin. These lesions can serve as a gateway for microorganisms harmful to our health. Infections usually occur within the first few days after the operation.
During the infection, we notice inflammation, pain as well as redness in the area where the wound is located. This can sometimes be accompanied by suppuration and fever. In this case, it is essential to consult the doctor.
Side effects of cancer treatment: chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is associated with a long list of side effects. Here are the most common.
Anemia
The vast majority of chemotherapy drugs negatively affect the bone marrow. This then leads to changes in the patient’s cell production.
Nausea and vomiting
This is the most common side effect of chemotherapy because it affects 80% of people who undergo this cancer treatment.
Variations in intestinal rhythm
Chemotherapy causes changes in our own body. These can appear in the intestines. Depending on the medicine used, it can cause diarrhea or constipation.
Hair loss
Contrary to popular belief, hair loss during chemotherapy will depend on the medication used. On the other hand, this side effect is very different from person to person.
Side effects of cancer treatment: radiation therapy
Radiotherapy has side effects related to the amount of radiation received. Therefore, adverse reactions will be limited to radiation fields. They are also linked to the dose received and its fractionation, to concomitant treatments and to the sensitivity of the sick person.
As we have already mentioned, the side effects will depend on the irradiated area. Nevertheless, fatigue is present in almost all cases, as well as irritation of the skin covering the irradiated part of the body. Also, if the radiation takes place on the abdomen, the person may experience changes in bowel movement, as well as nausea and vomiting.
Side effects of cancer treatment: what to remember?
Side effects vary depending on the treatment and the temperament of the person receiving it. There are many treatments for cancer, but the most common are surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy.
Depending on the location, intensity and type of cancer, the side effects will also be different. If you have any doubts or concerns about any symptom, consult a doctor without hesitation.
