Condition after chemotherapy

The condition of an oncological patient after a previous course of chemotherapy is severe or of moderate severity. Of course, patients with different levels of immunity, with different stages of cancer, as well as with existing other diseases of the body, suffer differently from treatment.

But a general deterioration in the health and well-being of a patient after a previous course of chemotherapy is considered to be general.

[1], [2], [3], [4]

Organism after chemotherapy

After the course of chemotherapy, patients are marked a sharp decline in all the performance of the body. First of all, it concerns the condition of the hematopoietic system and the blood itself. In the formula of blood and its composition, sharp changes occur, which are expressed in a drop in the level of its structural elements. As a result, the immunity of patients is greatly reduced, which is expressed in the susceptibility of patients to any infectious diseases.

All internal organs and systems experience the effects of toxic damage with chemotherapy drugs that contain poisons that kill fast-growing cells. This type of cells are malignant, as well as bone marrow cells, hair follicles, mucous membranes of various organs. They suffer before all others, which is manifested in a change in the state of health of patients, exacerbation of various diseases and the appearance of new symptoms, as well as changes in the appearance of the patient. Lesions are also affected by the heart and lungs, liver and kidneys, the gastrointestinal tract and genitourinary system, skin and so on.

In patients after chemotherapy, there are allergic reactions, skin rashes and itching, hair loss and baldness.

The peripheral and central nervous system also suffers, which is manifested in the appearance of polyneuropathy.

In this case, there is a general weakness and increased fatigue, depressive conditions.

Immunity after chemotherapy

The state of human immunity affects many factors, including the composition of the blood and the number of leukocytes in it of various species, including T-lymphocytes. After chemotherapy, the immunity of the patient is sharply reduced, which is caused by a drop in the level of leukocytes responsible for the immune response of the body against various infections and pathogens of internal and external origin.

Therefore, after the course of chemotherapy, patients are treated with antibiotics to avoid becoming infected with infectious diseases. This measure, of course, does not contribute to improving the overall condition of the patient, which is already lowered by the use of chemotherapy.

The following measures contribute to the increase of immunity after the end of treatment:

1. The intake of antioxidants - vitamins, stimulating the activity of the immune system. These include vitamins C, E, B6, beta-carotene and biofluonidy.
2. It is necessary to eat lots of fresh vegetables, fruits, herbs and berries, which contain antioxidants - currants, strawberries, bell peppers, lemons and other citrus fruits, raspberries, apples, cabbage, broccoli, brown rice, sprouted wheat, parsley, spinach, celery and so on. There are antioxidants in cereals and legumes, in unrefined vegetable oils, especially olive.
3. It is necessary to include in preparations rich in selenium, as well as foods in which this trace element is contained. This element helps to increase the number of lymphocytes, and also improves the production of interferon and stimulates immune cells to produce more antibodies. Selenium is rich in garlic, seafood, black bread, offal - duck, turkey, chicken and pork liver; beef, pork and veal buds. Selenium is found in unrefined rice and corn, wheat and wheat bran, sea salt, coarse flour, mushrooms and onions.
4. Small, but regular physical activity helps to increase immunity. These include morning exercises, outdoor walks, cycling, swimming in the pool.
5. Chamomile tea is a simple remedy for enhancing immunity. A tablespoon of dried camomile flowers is brewed with a glass of boiling water, cooled and filtered. The minimum amount of chamomile infusion is two to three tablespoons three times a day before meals.
6. Tincture of Echinacea or preparation Immunal - an excellent tool for strengthening immunity. Alcoholic infusion should be drunk with a small amount of liquid. The initial dose is forty drops, and then tincture is used in the amount of twenty drops every hour or two. The next day you can take forty drops of tincture three times a day. The longest course of treatment is eight weeks.

Liver after chemotherapy

The liver is one of the important organs of man, while performing many different functions. It is known that liver cells are most susceptible to negative consequences of the introduction of chemotherapy drugs of all other organs. This is due to the fact that the liver takes an active part in metabolic processes, as well as excretion from the body together with bile and neutralization of various harmful and toxic substances. It can be said that from the very beginning of chemotherapy the liver is the conductor of the drug, and after treatment it begins to function in a mode of protecting the body from the toxic effects of the components of the drugs.

Many chemotherapy regimes have a strong toxic effect on the liver. Some patients experience drug exposure, expressed in eighty percent of liver damage.

The liver after chemotherapy can have several degrees of damage, distinguish four basic degrees - light, moderate, high and heavy. The degree of defeat of this body is expressed in the level of biochemical changes in its functioning.

When liver damage is observed, metabolic processes in the body cells are disturbed, toxic changes in cell structures, impaired blood supply to liver cells and exacerbation of previously existing hepatic diseases. At the same time, the immune abilities of this organ are violated. It is also possible the occurrence of carcinogenesis - the appearance of tumor processes in the liver.

After chemotherapy, the passage of a biochemical blood test is mandatory, the decipherment of which shows how much the liver is affected. This takes into account the level of bilirubin and enzymes in the blood. In patients who did not abuse alcohol, did not tolerate hepatitis and did not work in harmful chemical plants, blood counts could be normal. Sometimes, in patients, the data of biochemical analysis can worsen in three to five times relative to the norm.

You can reassure patients that the liver is an organ that is quickly and successfully regenerated. If, while applying the appropriate diet and drug therapy, this process can be greatly speeded up and facilitated.

Hepatitis after chemotherapy

Hepatitis is a group of inflammatory liver diseases, which has a predominantly viral (infectious) nature. The cause of hepatitis can also be toxic substances, which are in abundance in the cytostatics.

Hepatitis after chemotherapy occurs against the background of damage to the liver cells. Moreover, the stronger this organ is affected, the more likely is hepatitis. In a weakened liver, infections that lead to the development of inflammatory processes.

The possibility of hepatitis is also associated with a low level of immunity after chemotherapy, which causes a poor resistance of the organism to diseases of an infectious nature.

Symptoms of hepatitis are:

1. The appearance of fatigue and headache.
2. Appearance of loss of appetite.
3. Appearance of nausea and vomiting.
4. The onset of fever, up to 38.8 degrees.
5. Appearance of a shade of a skin of yellow color.
6. Change the color of the eye proteins from white to yellow.
7. The appearance of urine is brown.
8. Change in the color of feces - they become colorless.
9. The appearance of sensations in the right hypochondrium in the form of pain and constriction.

In some cases, hepatitis can occur and continue without symptoms.

Hair after chemotherapy

Hair after the application of chemotherapy fall out, and, some patients become completely bald. Chemotherapy drugs damage the follicles, from which the hair grows. Therefore, hair loss can be observed throughout the body. This process begins two to three weeks after the transfer of chemotherapy is called alopecia.

If the course of oncoprocesses in the body slowed, there is an increase in immunity of the patient and improvement of his general condition and well-being. There are good trends to hair growth. After a while, the follicles become viable, and the hair begins to grow. And, this time they become more dense and healthy.

However, not all drugs with chemotherapy provoke hair loss. Some anticancer drugs only partially deprive the patient of the hair cover. There are drugs that have a targeted effect only on malignant cells, and allow to keep the patient's scalp intact. In this case, the hair becomes only thin and weakened.

Doctors-oncologists recommend shaving their head before going through a course of chemotherapy. You can buy a wig to calmly appear in public places.

After completing the course, experts recommend using the following recommendations:

1. Use the preparation "Sidil". But do not buy it yourself, because it has a number of side effects. It is best to consult a doctor about the use of this medication.
2. Do a daily scalp massage using burdock oil. On the scalp is applied oil, massage is done, then a cellophane cap is put on the head, and a towel is wrapped on top. After an hour, the oil is washed off with a shampoo with a mild effect. Burdock oil can be replaced with hair growth agents containing vitamins and ceramides.

Stomach after chemotherapy

Chemotherapy drugs damage the mucous membrane of the stomach, resulting in patients begin to experience a number of unpleasant symptoms. There is nausea and vomiting, heartburn and sharp burning pain at the top of the abdomen, flatulence and eructation, weakness and dizziness. These symptoms are signs of gastritis, that is, inflammatory or dystrophic changes in the gastric mucosa. In this case, there may be a deterioration in the tolerability of certain foods, as well as lack of appetite and weight loss.

To restore the proper operation of the stomach, you must follow the recommended diet and take prescribed medications.

Veins after chemotherapy

The veins of the patient after chemotherapy are affected by the effects of toxic drugs. Early (near) complications include the appearance of phlebitis and phlebosclerosis of the veins.

Phlebitis is an inflammatory process of the walls of veins, and phlebosclerosis is a change in the walls of veins of a degenerative nature, in which the walls of the vessels thicken.

Such manifestations of veins change are observed in the elbow and shoulder of the patient after repeated injections of chemotherapy drugs - cytostatics and / or antibiotics of the antitumor effect.

To avoid such manifestations, the above drugs are recommended to be injected into the vein at a slow pace, and also to complete the infusion of the drug by injecting a full syringe of a five percent glucose solution through the needle left in the vessel.

In some patients, chemotherapy drugs have the following side effect on the veins - they begin inflammatory processes that lead to the formation of thrombi and the appearance of thrombophlebitis. Such changes, in the first place, concern patients whose blood system is prone to blood clots.

Lymphonoduses after chemotherapy

After chemotherapy, in some patients, lymph nodes may inflame and increase in volume. This is due to the increased sensitivity of the lymph nodes to the toxic effects of cytostatics.

This happens for a number of reasons:

1. Due to damage to the cells of the lymph nodes.
2. By reducing the number of blood elements (leukocytes and lymphocytes), which are responsible for the immune response of the body.
3. Because of the reaction of the body to penetration into the body of infection.

Kidneys after chemotherapy

In the course of chemotherapy, kidney damage occurs, which is called nephrotoxicity. This consequence of treatment is manifested in the necrosis of cells of the kidney tissue, which is the result of accumulation in the tubules of the parenchyma of the drug. First of all, the tubular epithelium is affected, but then the intoxication can penetrate deep into the glomerular tissue.

Such complication after chemotherapy has one more name: tubulo-interstitial nephritis. In this case, the disease can develop in acute form, but then, after a long treatment, go to the chronic stage.

Kidney damage, as well as renal failure affects the occurrence of prolonged anemia, which appears (or increases) due to impaired renal erythropoietin production.

After chemotherapy, there is a different degree of renal failure, which can be established after laboratory tests of blood and urine. The degree of this dysfunction is affected by the level of creatine or residual nitrogen in the blood, as well as the amount of protein and erythrocytes in the urine.

Well-being after chemotherapy

After the chemotherapy, the patients observe a sharp deterioration in their state of health. There is a strong weakness, increased fatigue and fatigue. The psychoemotional condition of the patient changes for the worse, depression can be observed.

Patients complain of constant nausea and vomiting, heaviness in the stomach and burning sensation in the epigastric region. In some patients, hands, face and legs swell. One of the patients feels severe heaviness and dull pain in the right side in the area of the liver. Pain sensations can also be observed throughout the abdomen, as well as in the joints and bones.

There is numbness in the arms and legs, as well as impaired coordination during movement, changes in tendon reflexes.

After chemotherapy, the bleeding of mucous membranes of the mouth, nose and stomach sharply increases. In patients, there are manifestations of stomatitis, which are expressed in severe dryness of tenderness of the oral cavity.

Consequences after chemotherapy

After the course of chemotherapy, patients begin to feel the various consequences of the treatment. Patients are faced with deterioration of health, the emergence of general weakness, lethargy and increased fatigue. There is a loss of appetite and a change in the taste of foods and dishes, diarrhea or constipation occurs, severe anemia is detected, sick people begin to worry about nausea and, even, vomiting. The patient may be disturbed by oral mucositis (pain in the mouth and throat) and stomatitis, as well as various bleeding.

The appearance of the patient also undergoes changes. Hair after the chemotherapy, usually, drop out. The appearance and structure of the skin changes - it becomes dry and painful, and the nails are very brittle. There is a strong swelling, especially limbs - arms and legs.

Mental and emotional processes of the patient also suffer: memory and concentration of attention worsens, periods of turbidity of consciousness occur, there are difficulties with the process of thinking, the general emotional state of the patient is destabilized, depressive states are observed.

The peripheral nervous system is also strongly affected by drugs. In different parts of the body, there are sensations of numbness, tingling, burning, or weakness. First of all, such transformations concern the hands and feet of the patient. When walking, you may have pain in your legs and whole body. There may be a loss of balance and a drop in the occurrence of dizziness, the onset of seizures and twitching of muscles, difficulty in holding objects in their hands or lifting them. In the muscles, there is a constant feeling of fatigue or pain. There is a decrease in hearing acuity.

Postponed chemotherapy affects the reduction of sexual desire, as well as the worsening of the reproductive functions of the patient. There is an upset urination, the onset of pain or burning, as well as a change in color, odor and urine composition.

Complications after chemotherapy

Complications after chemotherapy are associated with general intoxication of the body through the use of medications. There are complications of local and general nature, as well as early (immediate) and late (distant) effects of chemotherapy.

[5], [6], [7]

Examination after chemotherapy

The examination after chemotherapy is done with two purposes:

1. To establish the success of the treatment.
2. Determine the degree of damage to the patient's body by the toxic effects of drugs and prescribe appropriate symptomatic treatment.

The examination procedure includes a laboratory study of blood tests: a general, biochemical and leukocyte formula. It is also necessary to pass a urine test to determine the level of protein.

An additional examination after chemotherapy may include ultrasound diagnosis and radiography.

[8], [9], [10]

Analyzes after chemotherapy

During the course of chemotherapy, patients undergo tests at least twice a week. This concerns, first of all, the analysis of blood and its research. This measure is due to the need to monitor the condition of the patient during chemotherapy. With satisfactory results of the tests, the course of treatment can be continued, and in case of poor results, it is possible to reduce the doses of the drugs or stop the treatment altogether.

After chemotherapy, patients are also given tests that are aimed at monitoring the patient's condition after the chemotherapy. First of all, a general blood test, a biochemical blood test and a leukocyte formula are performed. This group of tests allows you to record the level of damage to the body after chemotherapy, namely vital organs and systems, and take appropriate measures to normalize the patient's condition.

The common after the chemotherapy is the change in all blood counts. The level of leukocytes, erythrocytes and platelets decreases. The level of ALT and AST increases, as well as the amount of bilirubin, urea and creatine. The level of total protein in the blood decreases, the amount of cholesterol, triglycerides, amylase, lipase and GGT changes.

Such changes in blood composition show lesions of all organs and systems of varying severity after a chemotherapy course.

[11], [12], [13], [14], [15], [16], [17], [18], [19],

What to do after chemotherapy?

Many patients who have been treated with cytostatics begin to wonder: "What to do after chemotherapy with your health?"

First and foremost, it is necessary to determine what symptoms bother the patient after completion of chemotherapy. They should be told to specialists who observe the patient's condition after chemotherapy. The attending physician, having familiarized himself with certain symptoms, can direct the patient to a more narrow specialist for receiving advice and prescribing appropriate treatment.

Specialists of a narrower profile as a symptomatic treatment may prescribe the use of certain medications, as well as vitamin-mineral complexes and immunity-supporting therapy.

Along with the relief of the patient's condition with the help of medication, it is necessary to set the goal of restoring the functions of damaged organs and systems. First of all, it concerns the function of hematopoiesis, the immune system, the digestive system of the stomach, intestines, liver, and kidney function. It is very important to restore the microflora in the intestines, thereby stopping the course of dysbiosis. It is necessary to pay attention to the elimination of symptoms of general intoxication of the body, as well as weakness, depressive conditions, pain, swelling and loss of appetite.

Methods of restorative therapy include:

• The transition to proper nutrition, which includes the entire range of products beneficial to the body.
• Exercise possible physical activity - walking on the open air, morning gymnastics.
• Use of massages, physiotherapy procedures and so on to improve health.
• Using the methods of alternative medicine and herbal medicine to restore the body.
• Application of methods of psychotherapy to improve the psychoemotional state of the patient.

Treatment after chemotherapy

Treatment after chemotherapy is based on the appearance of the most disturbing symptoms in patients. Choose a method of therapy, as well as appropriate drug treatment is possible only after the results of laboratory blood tests and, if necessary, other tests.

The means that improve the patient's condition after a course of chemotherapy include:

1. Changing the diet of the patient and adherence to a certain diet.
2. Being in a state of rest, the opportunity to restore strength.
3. Walking in the open air, feasible physical activity, for example, therapeutic gymnastics.
4. Getting positive emotions and positive impressions from others, working with a psychologist.
5. Certain physiotherapeutic procedures.
6. Medicinal treatment of side effects.
7. Use of alternative medicine.
8. Spa treatment.

Pregnancy after chemotherapy

Pregnancy after chemotherapy is considered a controversial issue. If chemotherapy is accompanied by a medicamentous protection of the ovaries, then this increases the chances of a woman to become a mother in the future. But many patients remain barren, even despite the increased treatment for this problem. This is because after each chemotherapy course, the chances of having a pregnancy decrease several fold.

The toxic effect of drugs affects the ovaries and inhibits their functioning. This effect is felt more clearly the closer the area of chemotherapy is to the ovaries.

In the course of chemotherapy, two methods of surgical protection of the ovaries can be used:

1. Displacement of ovaries from the zone of action of drugs.
2. With general chemotherapy, the ovaries can be removed from the body and canned until the woman is healthy. After that the ovaries return to their original place.

Pregnancy planning specialists recommend starting at least one year after the end of the course of chemotherapy. This is due to the need to restore the body of a woman after intoxication and withdrawal of toxic substances. Otherwise, if the terms of conception are not observed, there may be irreversible changes in the fetus even in the prenatal period and the birth of a child with deviations in health and development.

Sex after chemotherapy

Sex after chemotherapy is a rather difficult act. This is caused, first of all, by the deterioration of the general health and well-being of patients. Hormonal changes lead to a decrease in the strength of sexual desire, and in many cases, and its temporary absence.

Women may experience changes in the microflora of the vagina, which is manifested in the appearance of thrush, which is accompanied by unpleasant symptoms. In this case, the sexual act will cause discomfort and pain, which negatively affects the desire to have sex.

In men, as a result of chemotherapy, difficulties arise with the appearance and maintenance of an erection, and anorgasmia also arises - the absence of orgasms.

Despite the fact that many women after the chemotherapy are not on a monthly basis, when you have sex, you must follow the rules of contraception. Because there is always the risk of becoming pregnant, which would be undesirable immediately after the end of chemotherapy.

In men, toxic products of chemotherapy penetrate into the sperm and can affect the conception and birth of a child with developmental anomalies that will have congenital malformations.

Monthly after chemotherapy

The toxic effect of chemotherapy drugs depresses the activity of the ovaries. This is manifested in the violation of the menstrual cycle, the emergence of its instability. Some patients may experience complete discontinuation of menstruation. This leads to the appearance of temporary infertility in women.

With the aim of reviving reproductive functions after chemotherapy, the patient must undergo appropriate hormonal treatment, so that the monthly appear again. In some cases, the body does not restore its reproductive functions, which means early entry into menopause (menopause) and a complete absence of menstruation for good.

Life expectancy after chemotherapy

It is impossible to accurately predict what the life expectancy of a patient will be after the previous chemotherapy. Such assumptions depend on many factors, including:

• Stage of the oncological process.

In the first-second stage of the disease, complete recovery of the body after chemotherapy and the absence of recurrences of the disease are possible. Thus patients can lead a high-grade life both twenty, and thirty years after the termination of treatment.

The third and fourth stage of oncological diseases does not give rainbow forecasts: patients after chemotherapy in this case can live from one year to five years.

• Degree of damage to the body after chemotherapy.

The consequences after the transferred treatment have an uneven severity for all patients. There are complications from zero to the fifth degree of toxic damage to the patient's body.

With mild and moderate degrees of consequences, patients can recover sufficiently to continue to live a full life for a long time. At the same time, of course, it is necessary to radically change your way of life, making it healthy from the physical and psychological aspects.

Severe levels of damage to the body can cause serious consequences for the health of the patient. In this case, the lethal outcome may occur after a short time after chemotherapy, as well as within one year after treatment.

• Changing the lifestyle of the patient.

Those patients who really intend to live long, begin to work on their health. They change the diet to a healthy and healthy food, change their place of residence to more environmentally friendly areas, begin to engage in physical activity, resort to methods of strengthening immunity and tempering. Harmful habits - alcohol, smoking and others are also ostracized. Those wishing to lead a full-fledged way of life can resort to a change of professional activity and place of work, if this greatly affects the quality of life of the patient. All of the above measures can lead not only to an increase in life expectancy after chemotherapy to ten to twenty or thirty years, but also to a complete cure of the signs of the disease.

• The psychological mood of the patient for recovery is very important. It is noticed that those patients who really tuned in to a full life after the chemotherapy, live for a long time, not seeing the recurrence of the disease. The psychological mood for recovery is very important for the patient's lifespan. Indeed, it is not for nothing that it is believed that many diseases, including oncological diseases, are psychosomatic in nature.
• A huge role is played by the change in the psychological situation in the patient's place of residence and work. It is known that negative emotions are one of the main causes of somatic diseases, including oncological diseases. Immune and recovery processes in the body are directly related to the state of the patient's psyche. Therefore, being in the atmosphere of positive emotions, support, participation and attention is one of the factors increasing the duration after chemotherapy. It is important to change the atmosphere in the home and at the patient's work in a way that positively affects his condition.

It is also important to get pleasure from life and bright, pleasant experiences. Therefore, you need to think about such activities and hobbies for the patient, which would bring patients pleasure and fill their lives with meaning.

Disability after chemotherapy

Disability after chemotherapy is documented in the case of an uncertain prediction for the patient's condition. At the same time, the high risk of relapse cases, for example, the occurrence of metastases, is of great importance.

If after the operative treatment is not prescribed further radiation treatment and chemotherapy, it means that the patient's recovery predictions are high. At the same time, there are no complications that lead to persistent violations of the functioning of the organism and limiting the life activity of the patient. In this case, disability is not formalized due to lack of grounds.

If a patient needs to undergo severe treatment for a long period, he may be assigned a second disability group for a period of one year. Chemotherapy can be of varying severity, it affects the disability group, which can be a third.

It should be noted that disability is not appropriated immediately after the operative intervention, and after three to four months from the initial point of treatment and longer. This applies to working patients, pensioners, and non-working patients. Disability registration can not be longer than four months after the chemotherapy treatment of the disease.

In this case, the patient undergoes a medical commission, which issues an opinion on the obvious unfavorable clinical and labor forecasts for the patient. This does not depend on the timing of the temporary disability of the patient, but must be done no later than four months from the time of its appearance. Only members of the citizens who have disabilities and ability to work of a persistent nature who need social protection are sent to the commission.

The condition after the chemotherapy of the patient is the determining factor for further action to improve health, improve the quality of life and social protection of the patient's rights.

[20], [21], [22], [23],