{"id":28815,"date":"2021-07-23T10:25:00","date_gmt":"2021-07-23T10:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bensnaturalhealth.com\/blog\/?p=28815"},"modified":"2023-12-11T10:44:28","modified_gmt":"2023-12-11T10:44:28","slug":"chemotherapy-side-effects","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bensnaturalhealth.com\/blog\/prostate-health\/chemotherapy-side-effects\/","title":{"rendered":"15 Chemotherapy Side Effects and How To Manage Them"},"content":{"rendered":"

Most of us have heard or seen the side effects of chemotherapy in movies or through the experience of a relative.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cancer survivors usually talk about it as one of the biggest challenges they have to face.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyone experiences adverse events differently.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus, reading a list of side effects does not mean that you will have all these problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, if you\u2019re considering chemotherapy as an option, you need to know about every possibility.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, we\u2019re reviewing the side effects and how chemotherapy works.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After reading this piece, you will have a list of adverse events and a few recommendations to cope with cancer therapy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chemotherapy for prostate cancer<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cancer in the prostate gland<\/a> is a common cause of urinary symptoms in senior men.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is the second most common type of cancer in men, as recorded in 2018<\/a> (1).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, it is usually not lethal, and the survival rate<\/a> is much better than other types of cancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, we shouldn\u2019t take chances with prostate cancer<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many patients with aggressive types or advanced prostate cancer require urgent treatment, and chemotherapy is one of the options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chemotherapy for prostate cancer is usually reserved for metastatic prostate cancer.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other words, when cancer spreads to other tissues or is about to.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several drugs can be used for these patients.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, docetaxel<\/a>, estramustine, mitoxantrone, and cabazitaxel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bad news is that very advanced prostate cancer may become resistant<\/a> to chemotherapeutic agents.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus, cancer therapy is combined with anti-androgens and other methods to provide a better outcome (2).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How chemotherapy works<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Chemotherapy drugs are not limited to a single area.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They circulate throughout the body, which is useful for metastatic cancer.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They reach cancer cells wherever they are and kill them. But how?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cancer cells are continually dividing, and that\u2019s one of the reasons why they become dangerous.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They won\u2019t stop dividing, and the tumor keeps growing and spreading.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Compared to cancer cells, their healthy counterparts rarely divide.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What chemotherapy treatment does is detecting and killing any dividing cell in the organism.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cancer cells under active division will be destroyed in the process.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Healthy cells will be destroyed if they are casually dividing at the moment of the treatment. Normal cells in the gastrointestinal system divide rapidly.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s why gastrointestinal side effects<\/a> are very common (3).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related Read:<\/strong> Chemo Port: How It Works, Benefits, Risks, Placement, Types<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

15 chemotherapy side effects<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Some cancer patients report more severe symptoms than others after chemotherapy.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They may not experience all of them at once.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The following is a list of possible side effects after receiving chemo for prostate cancer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1) Hair loss<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is perhaps the most widely known side effect of chemotherapy.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These drugs affect the hair follicle and your hair growth cycle.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may end up with brittle and very fragile hair or a complete hair loss.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, some patients never had hair loss and only experienced decreased hair volume<\/a> (4).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"saw-palmetto-benefits\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

2) Diarrhea<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The gastrointestinal system cells divide rapidly and often become affected by chemotherapy.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Up to 60% of patients under cancer therapy experience this symptom.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10% of them suffer from severe diarrhea that may lead to dehydration and electrolyte imbalances.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is also a cause of nutritional deficits<\/a>, and it lasts for a few weeks after chemo (5).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3) Nausea and vomiting<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Similar to hair loss, nausea and vomiting are also common side effects.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is because the enteric nervous system becomes affected.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead of the usual bowel movement, the intestines move to the opposite side.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moreover, these patients often have electrolyte imbalances, causing a block of intestine movements (3).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"home<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Find out Home Remedies For Nausea Or Vomiting During Prostate Cancer Treatment<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4) Mouth sores<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

People usually do not talk about mouth sores and mucositis, but they are ubiquitous, too.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The oral mucosa is a part of the gastrointestinal system.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus, mouth sores count as gastrointestinal symptoms.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Besides mouth sores, these patients may experience taste alterations<\/a>, too.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This depends on the chemotherapy agent, though (6).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5) Headache<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Prostate cancer patients often experience headaches, especially during combined therapy.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Patients with a history of migraines have more frequent cases of headaches.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their migraines become worse and become difficult to treat.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chemotherapy in combination with hormonal therapy<\/a> increases the chance of headaches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6) Loss of appetite<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Altogether, gastrointestinal symptoms usually lead to loss of appetite.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nausea discourages patients from eating.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They experience early satiation and often do not feel hungry in the first place.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mouth sores and taste alterations may also restrain patients from eating comfortably.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Such loss of appetite<\/a> leads to malnourishment in 40% of patients when we do not take nutritional measures (7).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7) Anemia\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Besides the gastrointestinal symptoms, the bone marrow is another tissue that divides rapidly.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We need such rapid division to ensure a healthy level of red blood cells and hemoglobin.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, it makes red blood cells an easy target for chemo drugs.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Patients under cancer treatment usually have lower levels of red blood cells and hemoglobin, in a process called anemia<\/a> (8).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8) Easy bruising<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Platelets are another part of the blood that becomes affected by chemo.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The platelet count is significantly reduced in some cases.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When this happens, the healing process becomes impaired.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Patients suffer from easy and sometimes spontaneous bruising as well as easy bleeding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9) Blood clotting<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Some chemotherapy agents may increase the clotting ability of the blood.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This happens with estramustine, a drug commonly used in some cases of castration-resistant prostate cancer.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This agent links with a greater risk of thromboembolism and pulmonary embolism.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When such agents are used, patients are previously evaluated to rule out any baseline blood clot problem (9).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10) Leukemia<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

After chemotherapy for prostate cancer, patients may also experience other types of cancer.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most common is acute myeloid leukemia<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a type of blood cancer as a result of an injury in the bone marrow.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It usually responds to chromosome aberrations, especially when radiation therapy and chemotherapy are combined in the same patient (10).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

11) Frequent infections<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Besides red blood cells and platelets, chemotherapy also affects white blood cells.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They have a significant role in defending the body against invader agents.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When lymphocytes, natural killer cells, and other immunity components are affected, we become more susceptible to infections.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus, patients during chemotherapy should guard themselves against viral and bacterial diseases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

12) Allergic reactions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Hypersensitivity to chemotherapy medication may cause an allergic reaction<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Symptoms include itching, a skin rash, and swelling of the skin, lips, face, and other parts of the body.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Severe allergic reactions may cause breathing difficulties and fever.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s one of the reasons why some chemotherapeutic agents need to be administered under medical supervision.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This type of reaction is a possibility with docetaxel and cabazitaxel (11).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

13) Fatigue<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The side effects above contribute to some degree to feeling tired all the time<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anemia reduces the available oxygen to our healthy tissues, including the brain and muscles.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Loss of appetite reduces the nutritional intake, and gastrointestinal problems may impair nutrient absorption.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cancer itself consumes significant energy, even when there\u2019s a shortage.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus, patients often feel fatigued, even after they have rested appropriately.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They may also have chemo brain<\/a>, a state of brain fog, and cognitive problems due to chemo agents (12).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

14) Numbness or tingling<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The neurologic system may also become impaired in a process known as peripheral neuropathy.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nerve damage caused by chemotherapy medicine leads to numbness or tingling in the skin.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is sometimes a burning sensation or something similar to an electric shock inside of the skin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

15) Weight loss<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Cancer patients experience weight loss as a part of their disease.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, after chemo, weight loss can be sustained or worsened, especially in patients with severe gastrointestinal damage.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How you can minimize side effects<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Depending on what you feel, the cancer doctor may give you one of the following recommendations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n