Get a Handle on Chemotherapy Side Effects

Your body is constantly making new cells, and if you have cancer, this cell growth happens uncontrollably. Chemotherapy drugs work by interfering with cancer’s ability to divide and reproduce, which stops or slows cell growth. While this treatment works on cancer cells, it can also harm healthy cells, causing chemotherapy side effects many patients worry about.

Common Side Effects of Chemotherapy

The effects of chemotherapy are different for everybody, so some people experience several side effects while others have none. This largely depends on the severity of treatment and how your body reacts.

The most common side effects of cancer treatment are nausea and vomiting, followed closely by fatigue. Other common side effects include:

• Constipation
• Decreased appetite
• Dry mouth
• Easy bruising and bleeding
• Hair loss
• Skin and nail changes

Read More: Your Immune System and Cancer: What’s the Connection?

Overcoming Hair Loss

Hair loss is probably the most visible, and difficult, side effect of chemotherapy. It occurs because chemotherapy destroys cells that divide rapidly, which includes cancer cells as well as those in the hair follicles.

A new treatment called the DigniCap^® Scalp Cooling System can help minimize hair loss. The system limits the amount of chemotherapy that reaches hair cells by cooling, and therefore decreasing blood flow to, the scalp.

“During treatment, patients wear a silicon cap that includes a cooling wrap that fits to their scalp,” says Dr. J. Eric Turner, a board-certified and fellowship-trained medical oncologist at Beaufort Memorial Oncology Specialists.“The cap’s cooling element maintains a consistent temperature that’s just above freezing. Early clinical trials found it to be 66.3% effective in preventing hair loss.”

Currently, DigniCap is approved only for patients with solid tumor cancers.

Read More: Making Cancer Less Obvious

Anemia and Cancer Treatment

Another major side effect of chemotherapy is anemia, a condition that develops when your body doesn’t have enough red blood cells. Because chemotherapy can harm healthy cells, it can kill the cells that eventually become red blood cells.

Red blood cells carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of your body, so when your red blood cell counts are low, your body doesn’t get enough oxygen-rich blood, and you can feel extremely tired and lightheaded. Among the most common treatments are blood transfusions or iron therapy. Iron deficiency is the most common cause of anemia, so your doctor may recommend iron supplements or infusions.

Some other symptoms of anemia can include:

• Dizziness
• Fast heart rate
• Headaches
• Pale skin
• Shortness of breath

To diagnose anemia, your health care provider may perform blood test called a complete blood cell count, which measures red blood cells as well as hemoglobin, the protein in blood responsible for transporting oxygen.

The Neurological Side of Chemotherapy

Your nervous system is made up of the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system (PNS). The central nervous system consists of your brain and spinal cord, and the PNS includes all the nerves in your body. Chemotherapy can have a negative effect on your both parts of your nervous system, causing neuropathy and what’s known as “chemo brain.”

Neuropathy

Neuropathy refers to the many symptoms caused by damage to the sensory or motor nerves in the PNS. Some people report feeling a tingling or numbness in their hands, fingers or feet. Other symptoms can include:

• Inability to feel temperatures, such as the heat from a coffee cup
• Not feeling pain, for example, from a cut or sore on the foot
• Slow reflexes
• Unsteadiness when walking
• Weakness or loss of grip

“Neuropathy can be a painful side effect of chemotherapy,” Dr. Turner says. “While not all chemotherapy drugs cause neuropathy, there are currently no preventive measures. Fortunately, some treatment options, including short-term steroid use and numbing medications, can relieve the symptoms some patients may feel.”

Neuropathy symptoms can show up the same day you receive a chemotherapy treatment and gradually lessen over time. According to research published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, neuropathy is usually highest in the month after treatment and slowly decreases over the following months. However, for some people, it can become permanent.

‘Chemo Brain’

Chemo brain is what people often call the fogginess or decline in neurological functions, such as memory or concentration, that occur because of chemotherapy treatment. Some signs and symptoms can include:

• Confusion
• Difficulty learning new skills
• Short attention span
• Short-term memory loss
• Taking longer to finish tasks
• Trouble recalling words

Read More: The Mind of a Cancer Fighter

The cause for chemo brain isn’t completely understood, but you and your neurology team can take steps to help you cope.

• Exercise. Exercise can help improve focus and cognitive abilities.
• Get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation can impact your decision-making and problem-solving skills.
• Keep detailed notes. Since chemo brain makes you more forgetful, keep track of your appointments, important dates and to-do list on a printed or digital calendar that you carry with you wherever you go.
• Keep your mind engaged. Improve neurological function by doing a sudoku puzzle, learning a language or reading.
• Practice mindfulness. Mindfulness meditation can help increase awareness, focus and memory.

Talk to a Beaufort Memorial nurse navigator for help with managing treatment side effects.