Side Effects of Treatment For Colorectal Cancer

Surgery

The time needed to heal after surgery is different for each person. Patients are often uncomfortable for the first few days. However, medicine can usually control the pain.

Clinical trials A clinical trial is a controlled experiment that is used assess the safety and usefulness of treatments for hum disease and health problems. Generally, patients rece either the state-of-the-art standard treatment or a n therapy that may offer improved survival and/or cai fewer side effects. Participation in clinical trials provic essential information on the effectiveness and risks o new treatment.

Patients should cons their personal doctors and cancer specialists for detail information about appropriate treatment options.

It is common to feel weak or tired for some time after surgery.

Surgery for colorectal cancer sometimes causes constipation or diarrhea. The health care team monitors the patient for signs of bleeding, infection, or other problems requiring immediate treatment.

Radiation therapy Side effects of radiation therapy for colorectal cancer include mild skin irritation, nausea, diarrhea, rectal irritation, the urge to defecate, bladder irritation, fatigue, or sexual problems. These often go away after treatments are completed.

Some degree of rectal and/or bladder irritation may be a permanent side effect. This can lead to diarrhea and frequent urination. If a patient has these or other side effects, they should be discussed with their doctor. There may be ways to lessen them.

Chemotherapy Chemotherapy drugs kill cancer cells but also damage some normal cells. Doctors and other health care providers can help patients avoid or minimize side effects, which will depend on the type of drugs, the amount taken, and the length of treatment. Side effects of chemotherapy may include fatigue, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, loss of hair, hand and foot soreness, swelling and rashes, and mouth sores.

Because chemotherapy can damage the blood-producing cells of the bone marrow, patients may experience low blood cell counts. This can increase the chances of infection (due to a shortage of white blood cells), bleeding, or bruising after minor cuts or injuries (due to a shortage of blood platelets).

There are remedies for many of the temporary side effects of chemotherapy. For example, antiemetic drugs can prevent or reduce nausea and vomiting, and hemotopoietic drugs can improve the levels of white and red blood cells. Persons receiving chemotherapy should talk with their doctor if they have any unrelieved side effects.

Most side effects disappear once treatment is stopped. Hair grows back after treatment ends, though it may look different.

Pain Having cancer does not have to mean having pain. For patients with pain, there are many different medicines, ways to receive the medicine, and alternative methods that can relieve pain. Pain may occur during or after treatment but should not be a constant feature after healing occurs. When a person is free from pain, he or she can sleep and eat better, enjoy the company of family and friends, and continue with work and hobbies.

There are many different medicines and methods available to control cancer pain. The method of pain control used will depend on the source of the discomfort. Doctors routinely seek information and resources necessary to make individuals who have been diagnosed with cancer as comfortable as possible. If a patient experiences persistent pain and the doctor does not suggest treatment options, the patient should ask to see a pain specialist or ask the doctor to consult a pain specialist. Pain specialists may be oncologists, anesthesiologists, neurologists, neurosurgeons, other doctors, nurses, or pharmacists. A pain control team may also include psychologists and social workers.