Consequences after chemotherapy

Cancer cells have the ability to rapidly divide, which allows the tumor to grow very quickly and metastasize to other organs of the human body. To prevent their growth and destroy existing cancer cells, medicine uses such a method of action as chemotherapy. But at the current level of development of medicine, it has not yet been possible to create a drug that would selectively destroy only cancer cells. Therefore, the consequences after chemotherapy are quite complex and destructive for the patient's body.

After undergoing such therapy, the patient must subsequently undergo a rehabilitation course.

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Consequences of chemotherapy in men

Cancer cells are quite aggressive and have a high division rate. In order to slow down this growth and destroy cancer cells, treatment with chemical drugs is used. The consequences of chemotherapy in men are mostly the same as in women, but in light of physiological differences, there are also differences. The drugs used significantly affect the function of the genitals of the strong half of humanity. After the treatment, reproductive capacity decreases, as the number and activity of spermatozoa decreases. This becomes a factor in temporary infertility. If the outcome is favorable, after a certain period of time, the sex cells are restored, their number is normalized.

Another purely psychological problem may be the loss of libido and erection. Here, the support of the patient's other half is of great importance in helping to restore the "lost" functions. Over time, in the vast majority of cases, erection and attraction to the opposite sex return. During chemotherapy and for another year after it, a man should use condoms during sexual intercourse, since there is a high probability of conceiving a child with a developmental disorder.

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Consequences of chemotherapy in women

The cancer is behind us, and now we have to face the consequences of chemotherapy for women. Some have to radically change their lifestyle after hospitalization.

• You need to pay more attention to your health.
• Take a more thorough approach to balancing your diet.
• Vegetables, raw and stewed, and fruits should form the basis of the table.
• Don't forget about meat and fish.
• Positive emotions are also a medicine that will help the patient to go through the rehabilitation process in the shortest possible time.
• Sleep and walks in the fresh air.
• Minimize physical activity.

The consequences of chemotherapy in women can result in disruption of the ovaries. In this regard, menstruation becomes irregular or can disappear altogether for some time. This factor is the cause of temporary infertility in women. Over time, all reproductive functions should be restored. The period depends on the physiological characteristics of a particular woman. Symptoms similar to menopause may occur. But this, too, is all transient.

If the attending physician took care to protect the woman's ovaries during chemotherapy, this will give her the opportunity to become a mother in the future. If a malignant tumor is detected at the time when the fair sex is pregnant, doctors can, if possible, postpone chemotherapy until the postpartum period. During the procedures, sexual partners must use contraception, since pregnancy is unacceptable during this period. The effects of chemicals can affect the development of a small person.

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Consequences of chemotherapy in children

Many parents understand that the effectiveness of chemotherapy in destroying malignant cells is beyond doubt, but the consequences of chemotherapy in children can be significant and manifest themselves with varying degrees of severity. After such a procedure, little people need increased attention from their parents and special care. Some things will have to be limited. All the complications that adults experience are also inherent in small patients, with the only difference being that, due to the imperfection of the immune system, they experience them much more acutely. Therefore, parents need to know a few simple rules that will help the baby to more easily undergo the procedures and survive their consequences.

• To avoid or reduce the severity of vomiting or diarrhea, do not give your baby spicy, sweet or fatty foods. Meals should be fractional, in small portions. The child should drink enough liquid. Do not feed the baby three to four hours before the procedure. If these complications do occur and are severe enough, you should notify the oncologist, who will prescribe medications to relieve this problem.
• The child needs to brush his teeth with a soft brush so as not to damage the mucous membrane. In case of dryness in the oral cavity, rinses with medicinal infusions, rinses or sprays should be introduced into the hygiene complex.
• When washing the head, it is necessary to use a soft shampoo, when combing - not a hard comb. When going outside, the baby's head should be covered with a panama hat, cap or scarf. Older children should buy a wig, having previously discussed the color and hairstyle, so that they feel more comfortable in it.
• The baby needs to drink enough fluids to avoid delays in the removal of urine from the body.
• It is necessary to monitor the baby's diet. It should be varied and necessarily contain products that help restore the level of hemoglobin in the blood.
• If any symptoms of a disease of any genesis arise during the rehabilitation process, it is necessary to immediately notify the child’s attending physician.
• Often, the consequences of chemotherapy can manifest in a child years later. Most often, reproductive and cardiovascular functions can suffer. Therefore, such children are monitored by a cardiologist.

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How to ease the effects of chemotherapy?

Chemotherapy is an effective method in the fight against cancerous tumors, but it brings with it complications that patients have to deal with during rehabilitation. How to alleviate the consequences of chemotherapy? This question is asked by anyone who has encountered these problems.

Sorbents will help to stop many complications that arise after chemotherapy. They absorb (take on) toxins and remove them from the body with the help of the urinary system, thereby reducing the aggressiveness of complications, making them less noticeable. One of the sorbents used in the current situation is enterosgel.

Enterosgel. The course of treatment is strictly individual. On average, it is from one to two weeks, and in more severe cases of intoxication, the course of treatment is repeated with an interval of three days. The drug is available in the form of a paste. It is taken orally, washed down with a decent amount of water. The medicine is taken two hours before or after meals. The daily dosage for adults is 45 g, divided into three doses (single dose - 15 g or one tablespoon).

For children:

• under three years of age – twice a day, one teaspoon or 5g per dose.
• for children aged three to five years - one teaspoon three times a day.
• Children from five to 14 years old – one dessert spoon three times a day. Total – 30 g daily.

The only contraindication to the use of the drug is acute intestinal obstruction.

Antitumor drugs do not distinguish between cancer cells and normal cells, destroying them with equal force. Due to such damage, the immune system suffers significantly, creating an excellent breeding ground for pathogenic flora and viruses. If the temperature rises and other signs of the disease appear, it is necessary to consult an oncologist and begin treatment of the progressive disease. The doctor may prescribe antibiotics.

The diet of such a patient should be balanced, enriched with a vitamin-mineral complex. Meals should be taken in small portions, five to six times a day. Dairy products are very recommended, as they can replenish the weakened organism's need for calcium.

In order to support liver function, a cancer patient is prescribed hepatoprotectors, such as phospholipids, during the recovery period. This drug is administered intravenously at a dosage of 0.5-1 g, two to three droppers per day, pre-diluted in 250-300 ml of 5% dextrose solution (or the patient's blood in a 1:1 ratio). The duration of administration is up to three months.

The drug is contraindicated for use only in case of hypersensitivity to its components.

In any case, all medications should be prescribed only by a doctor! And in everyday life, the patient will need to adjust his habits.

• Diets and food restrictions are discussed with the attending physician.
• Reduce physical activity.
• Spend more time outdoors.
• If the kidneys have not suffered significant damage, they can be supported by abundant consumption of slightly alkaline mineral water (still). It perfectly cleanses the body, removing the results of cellular decay.
• To normalize blood pressure, take diuretic herbs.

Many patients are so tired of injections and pills that they prefer folk methods of recovery. For example, to increase the number of white blood cells (leukocytes), they drink infusions of angelica roots, chicory flowers, and sweet clover. But tinctures of eleutherococcus, nettle, yarrow, and golden root will help raise hemoglobin, the number of platelets, and red blood cells in the blood. To quickly restore hair on the head, our grandmothers recommended washing it with infusions of burdock root or hops.

If desired, the patient can undergo rehabilitation support in a specialized health center or sanatorium.

Consequences after chemotherapy for lung cancer

Any anti-cancer drug is toxic to the body. Medicine and pharmacology have not yet managed to obtain a drug that would effectively destroy cancer cells and bypass healthy ones. Therefore, the most common consequences after chemotherapy for lung cancer are hair loss, nausea and vomiting. How to deal with these symptoms is written above.

After chemotherapy for lung cancer, the patient needs to monitor blood components for a long time, since late complications may include suppression of hematopoiesis.

Modern medicine offers a fairly wide range of antiemetic drugs that are great for relieving nausea. There are innovative methods for combating hair loss - consult your doctor and he will tell you what to do.

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Consequences after chemotherapy for ovarian cancer

Today, there are no more significant methods of preventing ovarian cancer than preventive examinations of women by a gynecologist. In case of suspicion of the disease, ultrasound tomography is also prescribed and if the diagnosis is confirmed (whether it is a malignant or benign tumor), it is removed, quite often together with the ovaries.

The latest methods in the field of oncology allow a more gentle treatment of the patient's body than a few years ago, while the main thing is to choose the right dosage of the drug and the protocol for its administration. The consequences of chemotherapy for ovarian cancer are quite diverse and similar to the complications that patients receive after chemotherapy of other organs. Although doctors try to minimize them.

Complications after chemotherapy:

• Hair loss, which has a psychological impact on a woman.
• Nausea with vomiting, diarrhea.
• Infectious diseases due to a decrease in the body's defenses.
• Pathology of blood formations.
• Anemia.
• Problems with urination.
• Swelling.

The methods used during the recovery period directly depend on the results of the biopsy and other clinical studies. And, first of all, it is necessary to speed up the process of strengthening the body's defenses, which are significantly weakened by the action of chemicals. Chemotherapy in the case of cancer patients is one hundred percent justified, since this is sometimes the only way to give the patient hope for life.

Most often, relapses of this disease occur after treatment in the first one and a half to two years. Most of the affected cells are localized in the area of the rectum - uterus. Therefore, you should not ignore preventive visits to a gynecologist.

Consequences after chemotherapy for lymphoma

All types of latest generation cytostatics are quite selective, directing maximum impact on cancer cells, while being more gentle to healthy cells. But they are still exposed to this toxic effect, which results in complications that are similar to the consequences of chemotherapy with tumor localization in other organs. Therefore, if we list the consequences after chemotherapy for lymphoma, they are, in many ways, the same as described earlier.

But medicine does not stand still, and drugs (monoclonal antibodies) appear that selectively destroy only B-cells, both tumor classification and normal B-lymphocytes. Complications appear during the procedure of drug administration, or after it, but they are still more narrowly targeted. It is easier to fight them. At the level of laboratory research, there are drugs that specifically destroy only cancer cells - this is simply a breakthrough in oncology. Having received such a drug, the patient will be almost completely free of the consequences of chemotherapy. But for now this may not be distant, but still the future.

When prescribing a course of treatment, the oncologist considers the prospects for possible complications and relapses. For example, if this type of lymphoma is aggressive and has a severe course, then the risk of using chemotherapy, with all the ensuing complications, is justified. It is better to treat the consequences than to lose life.

Consequences after chemotherapy for leukemia

The most common consequences of chemotherapy for leukemia include bleeding, nausea, and in severe cases, vomiting, and hair loss. The cause of their manifestation is the suppression or slowing of the growth of rapidly dividing healthy cells in the body.

The consequences of chemotherapy for some types of leukemia may be infertility. Moreover, this may also concern the prospect of not having children in the future for still young patients. If an adult man who is prescribed chemotherapy still plans to have heirs, the attending physician suggests that before the start of the course of treatment, sperm be frozen (it can then be used for reproduction). This is suggested because after exposure to anti-cancer drugs, the male reproductive organs stop producing sperm, becoming infertile. Over time, this function may be restored, or it may remain lost forever.

In the case of women, the ovaries are affected. Such pathology entails disruptions in the menstrual cycle, and menopause may occur. As with men, a woman has a high probability of infertility after chemotherapy, so if she ever wants to experience the joy of motherhood, she must undergo the procedure of egg extraction and cryo freezing before the treatment course.

The consequences of chemotherapy are quite different. Everything depends on the physiological characteristics of each patient, the severity of the disease, the dosage of the drugs taken and the time spectrum of treatment.

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Consequences after red chemotherapy

Medical workers often call breast cancer red chemotherapy. And you should not think that this pathology only affects women. Yes, their number among patients with this diagnosis is higher in percentage terms than men. But the disease does not discriminate by gender.

The consequences of red chemotherapy are mostly temporary. Some of them, with a little effort on the part of the patient, go away on their own, and some require medication.

In addition to nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and other complications discussed above, peeling areas appear on the skin of the body and on the nail plates, a venous pattern may be outlined, and inflammatory processes may appear. It is advisable to expose such lesions to direct sunlight as little as possible. It would be good if underwear and clothing were made of natural materials (preferably cotton and linen).

After a course of chemotherapy, the patient must reduce contact with aggressive chemical environments and household chemicals to zero. A woman will have to do without cosmetics for some time, since there is a possibility of an allergic reaction to the components of the substance, even if there were no such manifestations before the treatment.

Hair loss and brittle nails are psychologically unpleasant, but fixable. There are more severe manifestations, when the nail plate simply comes off, moving away from the skin. This allows pathogenic bacteria and viruses to enter the weakened body. In this case, the nails must be cut short, it is forbidden to use varnish and false nails. Otherwise, the nail will recover much more slowly. It is advisable to do household chores wearing gloves. Until the hair grows back, you will have to make do with a wig.

Complications after chemotherapy for breast cancer are usually unpleasant, but not severe, and with adequate therapy they pass fairly quickly, allowing the woman to return to her usual rhythm and daily routine.

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Late effects of chemotherapy

Remote effects of chemotherapy are rare, but they do occur. After undergoing a course of treatment using the method of chemical action on a cancer cell, there is a small chance that the antitumor drugs used may eventually cause the development of cancerous neoplasms of a different type. The percentage of such relapses is small (1 - 2%). But still. Usually, such "déjà vu" appears after ten years.

In some cases, the use of chemotherapy may result in infertility in the patient who has undergone treatment. In order to give patients the opportunity to become parents later, the treating oncologist suggests undergoing a procedure of extraction and freezing: spermatozoa in men, and eggs in women.

Rehabilitation, or recovery, which a cancer patient must undergo to eliminate the consequences of chemotherapy, can take a significant period of time (from six months to two years). Only after all body functions have been fully restored can we definitely say that this stage is complete. But no matter how frightening chemotherapy is with all its complications, sometimes it is the only saving straw that can bring the patient back to life. Whatever the diagnosis, you must fight for life! And fight to the end!

Treatment of the consequences of chemotherapy

As strange as it may sound, but after a course of treatment for cancer, oncologists have to begin the next stage - treatment of the consequences of chemotherapy. The gastrointestinal tract and the immune system of the body are most exposed to the action of antitumor drugs. Therefore, the doctor prescribes drugs to his patient that can stabilize and support the function of the gastrointestinal tract. It is also worth increasing the volume of consumption of fermented milk products. Pomegranate and liver are not the last place here, with daily consumption of which the patient's hemoglobin increases.

• Loperamide

This drug is prescribed for acute diarrhea, which often accompanies the consequences of chemotherapy.

This medicine is prescribed to babies:

• for toddlers aged two to five years – 1 mg three times a day,
• for children from six to eight years old – 2 mg twice a day,
• children from nine to twelve years old – 2 mg three times a day.

If diarrhea does not stop on the second day, the dose is increased to 2 mg after each bowel movement. The daily amount of the drug is determined at a rate of no more than 6 mg for every 20 kg of the child's weight.

An adult is prescribed a starting dose of 4 mg, and then each bowel movement another 2 mg (gradually reducing the dosage). The maintenance daily dose of the drug is 4-8 mg, the maximum daily dose is 16 mg.

In case of chronic manifestation of symptoms, the starting dosage remains the same, then the maintenance dose is calculated depending on the daily frequency of stool (the consistency of feces should be normal). If the toilet is calculated in one or two visits, then the drug intake is 2 - 12 mg per day.

Side effects appear only with prolonged use of the drug.

• Diarol

The drug is prescribed to children over 12 years of age and adults 2 caplets immediately after the first case of loose bowel movements. Then one caplet after each bowel movement, but not exceeding 4 pieces per day.

For children:

• from nine to eleven years old (weight 27–43 kg) – 1 piece after the first loose stool and half after each subsequent visit to the toilet (no more than 3 pieces per day).
• from six to eight years (weight 21-26 kg) - the dosage is the same as for older children, except that no more than 2 caplets should be taken per day. The drug should not be taken for more than two days.

Contraindications: children under 6 years of age, individual intolerance to the components of the drug, diarrhea with high temperature and if blood and mucus are visible in the stool.

To boost the patient's immunity, a vitamin and mineral complex is prescribed in tandem with foods rich in microelements and vitamins.

One of the unpleasant consequences after chemotherapy is the appearance of small but painful ulcers on the oral mucosa - stomatitis. Usually it goes away on its own within a few days, but to speed up this process, at home it is necessary to rinse your mouth several times a day with medicinal rinses, balms. You can rinse with decoctions of herbs that have antiseptic properties: calendula, oak bark, sage, chamomile... It is advisable to brush your teeth with a soft brush so as not to injure the gum tissue, and the toothpaste used should not contain sodium lauryl sulfate and calcium carbonate, which are quite a coarse abrasive. It is great when it is made on the basis of silicon dioxide, and it contains antiseptics and fluorides.

Against the background of chemotherapy, the patient often experiences nausea and vomiting. Modern medicine can offer a fairly wide range of drugs that can solve this problem, but only the attending physician should prescribe them. For example:

• Zofran

For an adult, the doctor may prescribe the drug once intravenously or intramuscularly, in the amount of 8 mg before the procedure or 8–32 mg dissolved in 100 ml of 0.9% sodium chloride solution, through a dropper after chemotherapy.

For children aged six months to 17 years:

• If the child's body area is less than 0.6 m2, the starting dose is administered intravenously in the amount of 5 mg/m2 before chemotherapy. Then 2 mg every 12 hours for five days.
• If the surface area falls within the range of 0.6 – 12 m2, the drug is administered in the same dose before the procedure, and then 4 mg every 12 hours for five days.
• the child's surface area is more than 12 m2, the starting dosage is 8 mg, administered before the procedure and the same amount every 12 hours for five days.

This drug is not recommended for pregnant women, mothers during lactation, or those with hypersensitivity to any component of the drug.

• Ativan

This drug is injected into a muscle or vein. The vial is diluted immediately before the injection. The solution is obtained by mixing the contents of the vial of Ativan with 5% saline injection solution. The injection rate should not exceed 2 mg per minute. This drug is not injected into an artery. It should not be prescribed to people who have an allergic reaction to the components of the drug, if they have problems with breathing during sleep, functional disorders in the kidneys and liver, and other diseases (a more complete list of contraindications can be found in the instructions for this drug).

Baldness is perhaps one of the most psychologically unpleasant consequences of chemotherapy, especially for women. This phenomenon can be attributed to temporary inconveniences. Over time, the hair will be restored on its own, and during the rehabilitation period, you can use the services of a wig. To partially prevent, and subsequently reanimate hair, you must adhere to a number of simple rules:

• Wash your hair with a mild baby shampoo.
• Do not use curlers or tongs.
• Do not dry your hair with a hair dryer.
• It is mandatory to wear a hat when outdoors.

During and for a long time after chemotherapy, the patient's body is in a weakened state, the immune system is suppressed, and cannot fight pathogenic flora and viral infections. Therefore, during this period, it is necessary to minimize the patient's contacts with others, including relatives. The fewer people the patient communicates with, the greater his chances of avoiding infection and complications after the disease. The disease can also arise from one's own bacteria, which are necessarily present in any organism (for example, such as thrush).

• Diflucan

This drug is available in capsules and tablets. It is taken half an hour before meals. The dosage and treatment regimen can only be prescribed by the attending physician.

• in case of oral thrush, the treatment is carried out for one to two weeks at a dosage of 50–100 mg.
• for skin manifestations - once a week at 150 mg. The treatment period is from two to six weeks. The duration depends on the severity of the disease.

This drug is not recommended for use during pregnancy or if the patient is hypersensitive to the components of the drug.

It is also necessary to include a mineral-vitamin complex and a rationally balanced diet to increase the body's immune system.

Another consequence of chemotherapy is anemia, which is expressed by a decrease in the number of red blood cells in the blood plasma and the level of hemoglobin. To normalize these parameters, the attending physician prescribes iron-containing drugs to his patient, such as maltofer, ferlatum, and others.

• Ferlatum

The medicine is taken before or after meals. For adults, the dosage is 15-30 ml per day. For children, it is prescribed individually at the rate of 1.5 ml per kilogram of the child's weight. After stabilization of the hemoglobin norm in the blood, the fixing actions continue for another two to three months.

• This drug is contraindicated in case of hypersensitivity to the components, if the patient suffers from chronic pancreatitis, cirrhosis...

• Maltofer

The medicine in drops or syrup is dissolved in juice or any drink (but not alcohol). The tablets are simply washed down with a glass of water or the same liquid. The period of administration and dosage are prescribed by the doctor.

Dosage:

• For infants under one year old – 25-50 mg once a day. Prevention – 15-25 mg.
• For children from one to twelve years old – 50-100 mg of the drug once a day, prophylactically – 25-50 mg.
• For adolescents over 12 years of age and adults - 100-300 mg once a day. Prophylactically - 50-100 mg daily.

The duration of treatment is five to seven months.

It is advisable not to take this drug for people with individual sensitivity to the components of the drug, as well as problems with the function of iron excretion.

Thrombophlebitis is another consequence of chemotherapy. Inflammation of the vein walls, it can occur:

• As a result of taking drugs used in chemotherapy.
• As a result of taking hormonal drugs.
• May develop after a catheter has been in place in a blood vessel for a long time.
• Injuries.
• Genetic or acquired predisposition to form blood clots.

Such complications are rare, but they should not be discounted.

• Wobenzym

In the first three days, the recommended dosage for adults is three tablets three times a day. However, in severe cases, the dosage may increase to 10 tablets three times a day.

Prophylactically – three tablets three times a day for one and a half months.

For children from five to twelve years old, the daily dosage is calculated as one tablet per kilogram of the child's weight. For adolescents over 12 years old, the dosage regimen is prescribed as for adults. The course of treatment is prescribed by the attending physician individually for each patient.

The medicine is taken half an hour before meals with a glass of clean water.