A study of canadian general practice community pharmacists revealed that only 18% were comfortable managing chemotherapy s side effects. These may include damage to your heart, lungs, nerve endings, kidneys, or reproductive organs. Chemotherapy information guide rogel cancer center. Remember that chemotherapy may change the colour and odour of your urine. Pdf side effects of chemotherapy in cancer patients and. Psychosocial side effects are very common in cancer survivors. Sometimes, chemotherapy causes longterm side effects that dont go away. Conditions such as anemia, as well as pain, medications, and emotions, can also cause or worsen fatigue people often describe cancerrelated fatigue as feeling extremely tired, weak, heavy, run down, and having no energy. Cancer cells tend to grow fast, and chemo drugs kill fastgrowing cells. They tend to gradually improve once treatment stops and the normal, healthy cells recover.
Presentation of side effects and management of docetaxelrelated adverse events docetaxel causes a variety of acute and longterm side effects. Our physicians at oregon oncology specialists collect resources to help with managing any chemotherapy side effects that might arise while undergoing treatment. Some act as physicalchemical barriers skin, cornea, membranes in the respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, urinary tract and reproductive tract. Pdf nursing management of chemotherapyrelated side.
Chemotherapy drugs act by damaging high proliferating cells. Being able to anticipate these side effects can help you and your child prepare and, in some cases, prevent these symptoms from occurring. When you know more, you can work with your health care team to manage your quality of life during and after treatment. There are also other drugs that are used to treat cancer in different ways, including targeted therapy1, hormone therapy, and immunotherapy2.
Some cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy may increase a persons risk of developing a different types of cancer later in life. Damage to these normal cells is the reason for many of the side effects people experience. Managing cancerrelated side effects american cancer society. This section also has ways that you and your doctor or nurse can manage these side. However, most people have some symptoms because of the treatment. While chemotherapy can be quite effective in treating certain cancers, chemotherapy drugs reach all parts of the body, not just the cancer cells. The session provides an overview of chemotherapy, the management of potential side effects and self care. Chemotherapy can help fight cancer, but it also has side effects. These worksheets in pdf format can help you keep track of your side effects. Fatigue is a common side effect of many cancer treatments, including chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy, bone marrow transplant, and surgery. Chemotherapy side effects vomiting, hair loss, nerve. Most common side effects include fatigue, low blood cell counts, hair loss, nausea, mouth sores, changes in bowel function, peripheral neuropathy, sexual and.
Even though side effects are different for every person, common ones include fatigue, nausea and vomiting, hair loss, loss of appetite, and diarrhea. Chemotherapy patient education materials this tool kit contains the materials required for qualified health care professionals to facilitate a group chemotherapy patient education session for patients who are about to start chemotherapy. Concepts of selfcare from orems theory of selfcare deficits provided the conceptual framework. Most chemotherapy side effects cease after treatment. Managing chemotherapy side effects oregon oncology. Fastgrowing cells like blood cells, hair cells, skin cells, cells that make up the gastrointestinal tract mouth, throat, stomach, intestines and cells of the reproductive system are at risk. Guswiler the purpose of this descriptive study was to investigate patients responses to chemotherapy teaching on drug side effects and side effect management.
Sleep dysfunction is exacerbated in survivors who spend a significant amount of time in bed as daytime activities may be interrupted by nappingrest and night sleep time may be disrupted. Treatment and side effects management of hodgkin lymphoma. The effects of aromatherapy on symptoms resulting from the chemotherapy side effects perceived by patients such as nausea, vomiting, pain, insomnia, and anxiety 2. Nervous system side effects some chemotherapy medication may cause side effects that are painful. Nearly 10% to 25% of cancer survivors report depression and 30% to 50% of cancer survivors report sleep disruption. The side effects you have may be different from someone else who is on the same regimen. Role of nurses in the assessment and management of. Ppe also called handfoot syndrome or handtofoot syndrome, palmarplantar erythrodysesthesia is a side effect, which can occur with several types of chemotherapy or biologic therapy drugs used to treat cancer. The side effects you may have from chemotherapy depend on the regimen youre on, the amount of medicine youre getting, the length of treatment, and your general health. Management of these side effects is of utmost importance because they affect the treatment. However, it may also include some antibiotics along with other medications for treating severe infection or illness. Cancer patients response to chemotherapy teaching on side.
A summary of key information the immune system and cancer the immune system consists of many different components in the body. Cancer patients response to chemotherapy teaching on side effect management by kelly a. In the list of new treatments for chemotherapy induced emesis were the 5hydroxytryptamine 3 receptor 5ht3 antagonist. Because of this, there may be many side effects during treatment. Managing side effects of chemotherapy resource guide there is always the possibility that chemotherapy may cause some side effects. Each person with cancer reacts differently to chemotherapy and fortunately, doctors now have ways to reduce and even prevent side effects. Side effects of cancer treatment targeted therapies these may use the bodys immune system to destroy cancer cells. Your doctor will work with you to develop a pain control plan that is based on your description of the pain. The survey regarding the side effects of chemotherapy showed that 43% patients were suffering from headache, fatigue 90%, weakness 95%, hair loss 76%, nausea 77%, vomiting 75%, diarrhea 31%. It is important to talk to your doctor or nurse about all of the side effects you. The side effects may be acute or chronic, selflimited, permanent, mild or potentially life threatening. Pdf toxicities of anticancer drugs and its management.
Benefits of using a chemotherapy symptom assessment scale. The effects of the drugs on healthy cells can cause side effects like tiredness or feeling sick. Damage to cells at the hair roots, or follicles, can lead to hair loss. Side effects of cancer treatment macmillan cancer support. Chemotherapy works by stopping or slowing the growth of cancer cells, which grow and divide quickly. Chemotherapy side effects the information below describes side effects that might be caused by traditional or standard chemotherapy. Healthy cells can also be affected by chemotherapy treatments.
There are many medications to address side effects from cancer treatment. Cancer treatment side effects cancer institute nsw. Fatigue and cancer treatment side effects national. Advice for managing the side effects of chemotherapy. Bone pain can be a common side effect of certain medications such as. Side effects of chemotherapy canadian cancer society.
The cancercare connect booklet series offers uptodate, easytoread information on the latest treatments, managing side effects and coping with cancer. Some may also damage nerves, leading to burning, numbness and tingling or shooting pains, most often in the fingers and toes. Managing and understanding your chemotherapy stanford health. Side effects of chemotherapy cancer council victoria. Pdf role of nurses in the assessment and management of. Mouth sores mucositis nerve damage neuropathy neutropenia and infections. The type of chemo drugs you use can affect your experience. Pain may be felt as burning, numbness, tingling or shooting pains in the hands and feet called peripheral nerve damage. Chemotherapy can cause fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, bowel issues such as constipation or diarrhoea, hair loss, mouth sores, skin and nail problems. To allow for easy reference, a tabular format is used to present systematically organized adverse reactions related to cancer chemotherapy. Here we discuss the risk of second cancers that may be linked to past cancer treatment.
Many people experience side effects from chemotherapy. Chemotherapy results in negative side effects, which affects patients wellbeing and quality of life. Explains side effects and other problems that may result from chemotherapy. But because these drugs travel throughout the body. Coping with the side effects of chemotherapy oxford university. There is evidence that health staff underestimate the number and frequency of these side effects, and the distress caused by them dikken and sitzia, 1998. Presentation and management of docetaxelrelated adverse. Aromatherapy for the management and control effect of. Nursing management of patients receiving cancer chemotherapy. Not everyone having chemotherapy will suffer unpleasant side effects. Chemotherapy destroys rapidly dividing cells, such as cancer cells. Most side effects are shortterm and can be managed. Chemotherapy can also damage healthy cells and cause side effects.
Managing chemotherapy side effects cancer council nsw. Managing the side effects of chemotherapy university health. 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. Following is a list of chemotherapy side effects categories, symptoms within each category, and links to additional side effects information. It helps to learn about the side effects of treatments before you begin so you will know what to expect. Implications concerning adverse drug reactions consists of precise information regarding nursing interventions and the rationale for implementation. Chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting is one of the most unpleasant side effects of treatment, and is consistently cited by patients as one of their greatest fears when embarking on a treatment course. Fast growing cells like blood cells, hair cells, skin cells, cells that make up the. Chemotherapy is a widely used treatment for cancer. Additionally, adverse drug reactions are divided into side and. Chemotherapy side effects immediate delayed within days within weeks late 8. This will help you get the best result from chemotherapy with the least side effects.
More specifically, this therapy is administered to destruct cancer cells. As cancer treatment works to get rid of the cancer, the resulting side effects can often be hard to manage. Other normal cells in your body are also rapidly dividing such as those in your mouth, blood, intestinal tract, hair and nails. Not all chemotherapy drugs have the same side effects and the severity of those side. For more information on depression, visit beyondblue and talk to your cancer care team. Carol kwok clinical oncologist, department of oncology, princess margaret hospital introduction chemotherapy is an important modality in cancer treatment. Managing side effects of chemotherapy moffitt cancer center. Anemia low red blood cell counts nausea and vomiting. Here are some common side effects of cancer treatment and some ways you can deal with them.
Read and download community member tips for chemotherapy treatment pdf. After a chemotherapy session, call your doctor or nurse if you notice any of these side effects of chemotherapy. Although uncommon, some treatments may produce longterm effects. Critical side effects associated with chemotherapy used in cancer. Fortunately, most of the common treatmentrelated toxicities, such as infusion reactions, febrile neutropenia, fatigue, and fluid retention are resolved between cycles of treatment or reversible upon.
Some chemotherapy drugs can cause painful side effects, such as aching in the muscles and joints, headaches and stomach pains. Chemotherapy services in the uk have been the subject of national policy directives for the past decade. The drug development pipeline is replete with oral anticancer agents, some with narrow therapeutic indices. Taking pain medicine is an important part of the plan. The ability of cytotoxic drugs to cure malignant disease is limited by two factors, drug resistance of tumour cells and the toxic effects of treatment on normal tissues.
While chemotherapy and other cancer treatments impact patients differently, most can expect some discomfort. Exercise for the management of side effects and quality of. While fatigue is a common side effect of chemotherapy, it can also be a symptom of depression. I had no idea that i would still be feeling tired five months after finishing treatment. Side effects are caused when the chemotherapy damages rapidly dividing healthy cells. Mouth, tongue, and throat problems such as sores and pain with swallowing. Some people will only have a few side effects and others may have. The side effects of chemotherapy generally depend on the type of therapy being offered. The management of the side effects of cytotoxic drugs. Chemotherapy or chemo is a type of cancer treatment that uses drugs to destroy cancer cells. 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. A number of techniques have been developed in an attempt to overcome the problems created by drug toxicity, in the hope of allowing higher doses of cytotoxics to be given. Infusionrelated rituximab anaphylacticburning sensation or pain at the site of infusion irritant vesicanturine discoloration doxorubicin red mitoxantrone blue 9.