A Nurse’s Perspective: The Unknowns of Therapy

By Alison Massey, as instructed to Susan Bernstein

There’s a notion that chemotherapy is like therapies from 20 or 30 years in the past. They suppose it should have uncomfortable side effects that aren’t tolerable, however we now have made vital advances in managing the toxicities that include these most cancers drugs. Individuals suppose chemo will make them sick, however that’s not the case. Every particular person remedy routine has its personal aspect impact profile. Should you have a look at the record of potential uncomfortable side effects, folks might be overwhelmed. Most individuals will expertise a aspect impact, however nobody will get each potential aspect impact.

Usually, folks will probably be somewhat drained or have a dip in vitality degree for just a few days. However between your therapies, we hope that you simply’ll have the ability to stay your regular life. We now have many individuals who proceed to work between their therapies.

Nausea is one other widespread aspect impact, however we’ve made advances in how you can handle nausea it’s possible you’ll expertise round your therapies as properly. We will supply sufferers a variety of anti-nausea drugs. Some therapies do trigger hair loss, and if that’s the case, we let you realize that up entrance. It’s vital to notice that the overwhelming majority don’t trigger hair loss, though some might trigger hair thinning. We undoubtedly have methods that can assist you handle these points, together with providing a prescription for wigs or different sources. With hair thinning, we will additionally verify sure labs or get our dermatology colleagues concerned that can assist you.

Fatigue is the primary factor it’s possible you’ll expertise with radiation. Radiation may cause irritation in your physique because it kills the most cancers. It’s the irritation that causes the uncomfortable side effects. Relying on what’s being radiated, you’ll have ache. For instance, if you’re receiving lung radiation, your esophagus might be concerned as a result of the radiation could also be near that space of your physique. If that’s the case, you’ll have ache with swallowing or problem swallowing. You could even really feel like meals will get caught after you swallow it. People who find themselves having radiation might not notice that it may have an effect on swallowing meals.

Generally folks will want radiation to a painful lesion. Whereas receiving radiation at a selected spot for folks with superior lung most cancers, you’ll have a flare-up of that ache. Finally, the hope is that ache will disappear. Throughout this time, we will additionally deal with you with ache drugs or steroids like dexamethasone to attenuate the irritation that causes ache.

Checkpoint inhibitors [immunotherapy medications for lung cancer] can have uncomfortable side effects, however they’re totally different than chemo as a result of they act in your immune system. These drugs can overactivate your immune system, which results in the uncomfortable side effects. Generally, we see sufferers develop dermatitis, which seems as a rash, or expertise colitis that causes diarrhea, or pneumonitis of your lungs, which can trigger shortness of breath or a cough. Checkpoint inhibitors might also trigger arthritis or myositis, which is irritation of your muscular tissues. Generally, we will even see swelling of your joints. It’s vital that if sufferers discover any new signs whereas taking a checkpoint inhibitor, they tell us about it so we will provoke remedy. The faster you inform us about these uncomfortable side effects, the earlier we will deal with and reverse them.

Sleeping properly may have an effect on your temper and high quality of life. A variety of our sufferers have insomnia. Usually anxiousness could also be inflicting that insomnia. Your thoughts is racing, so you may’t sleep. Additionally, a few of the meds you are taking for nausea or steroids for irritation can rev you up and trigger insomnia. And generally an annoying cough can disrupt your sleep.

Some folks with lung most cancers might have to make use of supplemental oxygen. In my expertise, folks battle with the concept of sporting oxygen as a result of, just like the affiliation with hair loss, now folks on the skin are capable of see that they’re sick. However from a medical perspective, it’s vital to put on it for those who want it.

Lack of sexual perform is one thing we will see in each women and men. In my expertise, males are extra vocal about this, so communicate up, women, in case you have any considerations! Erectile dysfunction can have an effect on males throughout most cancers remedy. Ladies might expertise vaginal dryness or ache throughout intercourse. If that occurs and also you tell us, we will refer you to a sexual well being physician. Remedies may have an effect on ladies’s menstrual cycles. Should you’re somebody who may get pregnant, you have to be cautious to make use of contraception when you’re being handled for most cancers.