Side Effect Management

I am thrilled to be enjoying a respite from chemo but afraid to be happy. How can I process this scary new freedom?

My animals have taught me how to accept aging and managing the side-effects of chemo with dignity, as well as how to enjoy naps without feeling guilty.

I vaguely knew what lymphedema was, and assumed it was something that only happened to breast cancer patients. But you know what they say about making assumptions.

Lymphedema can occur years after cancer, but exercise and lymphatic massages can help relieve symptoms.

One expert discusses how cancer and its treatments can have many lasting side effects on patients, from depression to peripheral neuropathy.

I keep fumbling and dropping lids to water bottles and other items. When I climb the stairs to my apartment, I often feel like I am going to fall backwards and grab the rail. If I go out in the cold air, my fingers tingle for hours afterwards. What in the world is wrong with me?

Loneliness may play a key role in an individual’s social constraints following a cancer diagnosis and its treatment, which in turn, may worsen symptom burden, according to recent research.

I am a person who always was able to sleep and would generally be out before my head ever hit the pillow. Now I found myself tossing and turning for hours at a time.

Winter can aggravate this chemotherapy side effect that causes hands and feet to feel numb, tingly and painful.

Limbs affected by lymphedema require specialized care, but during months where temperatures can be extreme, a little extra effort is necessary.

The Food and Drug Administration has approved Nplate for pediatric patients 1 year of age and older with immune thrombocytopenia who have had an insufficient response to medications, such as corticosteroids,or surgery to remove the spleen.

A retrospective study found that clinical trials may have fewer reported side effects than the real world.

A smartphone app helped significantly reduce pain and hospital visits for patients with metastatic solid tumors.

It is not the type of fatigue where a good night’s sleep will “cure” us. It just seems to go on and on.

Preventing febrile neutropenia is crucial because the body’s white blood cells help to fight infection.

When it comes to routine eye checkups and other appointments not directly related to my cancer, I become lax.

Patients can use daily practices to help reduce stress and anxiety.

There are dozens of potential side effects, and more are being reported every month.

Here are the top 5 CURE stories for September 2018.

Former vice president Joe Biden addressed hundreds across the country during the Biden Cancer Summit.

Medical marijuana continues to receive mixed reviews in the world of health care, but for those affected by cancer, it offers a ray of hope. Celebrities like Olivia Newton-John confirm the benefits through their own personal use of the plant but many don't have access to it.

As it turns out, a side effect of cancer treatment can be cataracts. Over the last two years, I have battled cancer treatment-induced cataracts. The good news is they can be fixed and I can see again!

The mouth is also part of the body, and yet, it is only in the past few years that oncologists have begun recommending patients see a dentist before they begin treatment to be sure the teeth and gums are in good shape.

One oncology nurse developed the BARF scale so her young patients could better communicate how they were feeling.

Take a look at the top 5 CURE stories of August 2018 in this video.

Wistfully, I recall the days I could work all day, come home and do things around the house and then go out for dinner! Those days are long gone. I am off the chemo this week, but next week I will feel even more fatigue when I go back on.

Although it may be more difficult to weigh the pros and cons of therapy in light of potential chemo brain than when considering other possible side effects, it still should be a part of the equation. This is especially true because numerous strategies may help ease chemo brain once (or if) it arises.