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The side
effects of cancer treatment depend on the type of
treatment and may be different for each person. Doctors
and nurses can explain the possible side effects of
treatment, and they can suggest ways to help relieve
symptoms that may occur during and after treatment.
- Surgery
for lung cancer is a major operation. After lung
surgery, air and fluid tend to collect in the chest.
Patients often need help turning over, coughing, and
breathing deeply. These activities are important for
recovery because they help expand the remaining lung
tissue and get rid of excess air and fluid. Pain or
weakness in the chest and the arm and shortness of
breath are common side effects of lung cancer
surgery. Patients may need several weeks or months
to regain their energy and strength.
- Chemotherapy
affects normal as well as cancerous cells. Side
effects depend largely on the specific drugs and the
dose (amount of drug administered). Common side
effects of chemotherapy include nausea and vomiting,
hair loss, mouth sores, and fatigue.
- Radiation
therapy, like chemotherapy, affects normal as
well as cancerous cells. Side effects of radiation
therapy depend mainly on the part of the body that
is treated and the treatment dose. Common side
effects of radiation therapy are a dry, sore throat;
difficulty swallowing; fatigue; skin changes at the
site of treatment; and loss of appetite. Patients
receiving radiation to the brain may have headaches,
skin changes, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, hair
loss, or problems with memory and thought processes.
Most side effects go away in time.
Today, because of
what has been learned in clinical trials, doctors are
able to control, lessen, or avoid many of the side
effects of treatment. Several useful NCI booklets,
including Chemotherapy
and You, Radiation
Therapy and You, and Eating
Hints for Cancer Patients, suggest ways to cope with
the side effects of cancer treatment.
| Doctors
and nurses can explain the possible side effects
of treatment, and they can suggest ways to help
relieve symptoms that may occur during and after
treatment. |
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