Which is worse, cancer or chemo?

Which is worse, cancer or chemo? Cancer in itself is a life-altering disease but despite the danger of this disease, its treatment is considered much worse. Is chemotherapy tougher than cancer? Although the treatment is always a better choice than none increasing evidence shows up about chemotherapy not being the right choice. What makes chemotherapy not an ideal choice of treatment anymore, is it unbearable? Let’s find out.

Understanding chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is one vital treatment procedure for many types of cancer around the world. It includes the use of drugs to kill cancerous cells. It is useful in stopping the growth, division, and reproduction of cancer cells in the body. Just like other cancer treatments, chemotherapy also has significant side effects that are difficult to deal with for most people. Side effects of chemotherapy vary from person to person.

Cause of chemotherapy side effects

The drugs of chemotherapy are used on active cells. Active cells are cells that are continuously growing and dividing at the same time. When cancer affects the cell, the cells become more active and reproduce rapidly. The cells are from all parts of the body including your blood, mouth, hair follicles, and digestive system. Chemotherapy drugs are used to destroy the fast-growing cells but these drugs travel throughout the body and also damages the healthy, normal cells that grow fast, too. When healthy cells are affected, it leads to a growing number of side effects in the body.

Treatment of Chemotherapy side effects

We can successfully treat and overcome the side effects of chemotherapy. With a medical professional, you can prevent side effects. Nowadays, medications are available of all different kinds to effectively cure the situation. Getting rid of chemotherapy complications is called palliative care or supportive care that is a substantial part of cancer treatment. With the ongoing research and advancement in medical science, scientists are constantly working on developing drugs and treatment ways with fewer complications. Only certain types of chemotherapy cause a greater number of side effects while many other types of chemotherapy side effects are easier to tolerate.

Chemotherapy Side effects

All drugs have their type of side effects. Chemotherapy also involves different side effects varying from person to person. Your side effects can be different from the other place, we’ve mentioned the most common types of chemotherapy side effects. Consult your doctor immediately if you ever experience side effects.

Physical Pain

Chemotherapy causes a handful of physical problems for a short period. It includes:

• Muscle pain
• Headache
• Stomach pain
• Nerve-related pain, like burning, shooting pains, numbness, mostly in fingers and toes.

Body pain such as muscle, stomach, or headache fades away after a while but nerve damage worsens with every dose. It turns so extreme that the drug responsible for nerve damage is put to stop use. It can take months, even years for nerve damage to come to end, in a few cases, it never goes away.

To treat the side effects, treatments differ based on the problem that is causing it. It’s vital to discuss the pain with your oncologist while you are taking chemotherapy. Sometimes, the problem can arise from cancer itself, not the treatment side effects. If the pain is associated with chemotherapy, the doctor would give pain-killing medication, regulate chemotherapy doses or block pain signals from the nerves to the brains with nerve blocks or spinal treatment.

Tiredness/Exhaustion

Your body tunes extremely tired or exhausted most of the time. It’s one of the most common side effects of chemotherapy. From experiencing muscle pain to feeling worn out easily, fatigue causes a lack of concentration and challenges to perform daily tasks. Tiredness is a recurring event even after treatment and lasts about three to four weeks but can go on to two to three months, too.

Diarrhea

Loose and watery bowel movements are also an adverse effect of chemotherapy in certain cases. Treating diarrhea at its initial stages can help you from getting dehydrated and also prevent other health problems.

Constipation

Constipation is also a part of chemotherapy. Lack of optimal bowel movement or difficulty in bowel movement leads to constipation. Use of pain medications or other medicines can also constipate. You can prevent or get rid of constipation by keeping yourself hydrated (drink enough fluids), eat a balanced meal, and do some exercise.

Mouth and throat sores

Cells present inside the mouth and throat are also affected by chemotherapy. It develops into hurtful sores in the mouth and throat area, a condition called mucositis. It stays for about 5 to 14 days after the treatment completion. The sores can get infected so don’t share food or come in constant with your family, friends, or children. You can prevent these sores by eating a healthy diet and keeping your mouth and teeth clean. It doesn’t last long, only for a few days, and goes away permanently.

Nausea and Vomiting

Throwing up and feeling sick to your stomach is a common occurrence in chemotherapy. Such side effects depend mostly on the usage of certain drugs and doses. Intake of dose before and after chemotherapy helps put a stop to nausea and vomiting.

Nervous system

Certain drugs used in chemotherapy can also aim nerve damage. The following symptoms in nerve or muscle indicate damage occurred:

• Burning
• Tingling
• Clumsiness
• Out of balance
• Trembling or shaking
• Stiffness in the neck or headache
• Numbness or weakness in hands, feet or both
• Sore, weak, achy, or tired muscle
• Difficulty in seeing, walking, or hearing

With a lower chemotherapy dose, these symptoms can ease and fade out. However, damage can sometimes be permanent.

Hair loss

Losing hair all over the body is a common part of chemotherapy. Starting from little amounts or in larger chumps, the hair starts to fall out of the scalp. It takes in the first few weeks of chemotherapy and increases rapidly into 1 to 2 months of treatment. Usage of certain drugs and doses cause the risk of hair loss so a decrease in its use can cause hair regrowth.

Heart health

Certain chemotherapy side effects travel to your heart. It’s always recommended to check the heart before starting the treatment. If there is an existing heart problem, then the treatment can cause additional problems. Echocardiogram, a common test that used ultrasound waves to create a moving picture of the heart.

Long-term side effects

Many side effects improve with time. However, some complications also return or develop after a while. For example, chemotherapy is prone to cause permanent damage to the heart, kidneys, liver, lung, or reproductive system. While others face cognitive problems, such as difficulty in thinking, focusing, and memory loss for months or years after the treatment.

Late nervous system changes

Many times, kids don’t experience or develop side effects in the month of the year after treatment but these side effects reoccur. Known as late effects, cancer is also likely to return later in life in cancer survivors.

Blood disorders

Chemotherapy affects the bone marrow, responsible for making new blood cells in the body. It is characterized as a spongy tissue inside the bones. Chemotherapy causes a shortage of blood cells. Though the blood cell number returns to normal once the treatment stops, the complication caused by fewer blood cells creates a lot of problems in the meantime.
To check any blood disorder, here are the following test done by doctors:
Complete blood count (CBC): This test helps to identify the levels of the red blood cells and white blood cells in the blood. You can develop anemia if your body doesn’t have enough red blood cells. Its symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath, and dizziness. While a shortage of white blood cells leads to a condition called leukopenia. That increases the risk of developing infections, especially severe ones. Use antibodies immediately if you notice any signs of this condition.

Platelet count

This test includes measuring the number of platelets in the blood. Platelets are very vital for the body as it helps the body against excessive bleeding. By plugging damaged blood vessels and forming clots, platelets are effective in sealing any cut. Shortage of platelets causes a condition called thrombocytopenia that involves excessive bleeding and bruising than normal.

Low blood counts are a risk but can be prevented by adjusting doses of chemotherapy. Medications are also available for treating blood disorders that help to increase the blood cell count in the bone marrow. Thereby preventing leukopenia or anemia in people resolving any type of higher risk.

Cognitive changes

Chemotherapy also causes cognitive problems such as trouble in focusing or concentrating on things. This phase is known as chemo brain that doesn’t work normally, scientifically known as cognitive changes or cognitive dysfunction.

Loss of appetite

You won’t feel hungry as you did usually and would eat less. If appetite loss continues after the treatment then you’d lose a lot of weight and turn weak. Lack of nutrition in these difficult times can cause muscle loss and strength and make it difficult to cope up with daily activity.

Sexual and reproductive changes

Cancer treatment can also impact your fertility. In women, the ability to get pregnant and carry a pregnancy while the men’s ability to make a woman pregnant is reduced. Exhaustion and lack of enthusiasm from cancer treatment also affect the ability to enjoy sexual activity. Consider undergoing a Pap test for women before starting chemotherapy that helps to collect a sample of cells from the cervix. An infant or an unborn baby can also be under harm from chemotherapy. In the first 3 months of pregnancy, when the baby’s organs are still forming, the effects can be seen. So, if you become pregnant amid chemotherapy, use effective birth control to survive the severe side effects.

Book an appointment with the Best Cancer Specialist at Oncoplus Hospital.