Treatment FAQ

how does breast cancer treatment affect the body

by Summer Schaefer II Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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How Does Breast Cancer Affect Your Body?

  • Tiredness. It’s a common symptom of breast cancer and a side effect of its treatment. Your doctor might call it fatigue.
  • Hair and Skin Changes. Chemotherapy, or “chemo,” can make your hair fall out, not only on your head but also all over...
  • Swelling. Surgeons sometimes remove your lymph nodes from the arm near the breast with the...

Breast cancer treatments can cause fatigue, discomfort, pain, and other changes to your body. These changes may lower your sex drive or make sex painful. Stress can have the same effect.May 4, 2022

Full Answer

How to ease the side effects of breast cancer treatment?

You can also make some changes in your diet to soothe your stomach, including these:

  • Eat several small meals a day instead of three large ones.
  • Ease nausea with natural ginger found in sodas, teas, and candies.
  • Stay away from greasy, fried, salty, sweet, or spicy foods.
  • Avoid food with strong smells. And stay out of the kitchen while others are cooking.
  • Stay hydrated. ...
  • Wait at least an hour after treatment to eat and drink.

What are the side effects of chemotherapy for breast cancer?

Breast cancer survival rates have markedly ... the cognitive deficits reported were wholly the result of chemotherapy, as opposed to a combination of cancer and multiple treatment-related effects. This concern is academic. From the perspective of patients ...

What are natural remedies for breast cancer?

We will roll out our Phase 2 clinical trial with the goal of verifying the benefit of our transformative technologies to reverse the normal course of drug resistance in patients with prostate cancer, lung cancer, and breast cancer." Kairos Chief Scientific ...

What are side effects of tamoxifen for breast cancer?

“There are serious side effects of tamoxifen, but fortunately, they are quite rare,” Wesolowski said. Some of the side effects include hot flashes, mood swings, vaginal dryness, discharge, and slight weight gain.

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What are the long-term effects of breast cancer treatment?

Long-term physical changes include anatomic changes, chronic pain, phantom breast pain, axillary web syndrome, and lymphedema. In addition, women may have decreased strength, aerobic capacity, mobility, fatigue, and cognitive dysfunction.

Does breast cancer treatment weaken the immune system?

Getting breast cancer doesn't mean that your immune system is weak. However, certain breast cancer treatments can weaken your immune system, leaving you more vulnerable to infection. Infections can worsen quickly when your immune system is weak, so call your doctor if any of these symptoms occur.

How does breast cancer affect body systems?

Lung, Liver, and Other Organs Sometimes breast cancer spreads, or metastasizes, through the bloodstream to other parts of the body. It can lead to tumors in your brain, bones, liver, lung, and elsewhere. Complications may include blocked blood vessels, bone fractures, and pressure on the spinal cord.

How does cancer treatment affect the body?

Some of the most common side effects of cancer and its treatment include pain and fatigue, anemia, mouth problems, nausea/weight change/dietary issues, and hair, skin and nail problems. Pain. The term “pain” describes a broad category of types of symptoms and it is common to all cancers and cancer treatments.

How long after breast cancer treatment is your immune system compromised?

Now, new research suggests that the effects of chemotherapy can compromise part of the immune system for up to nine months after treatment, leaving patients vulnerable to infections – at least when it comes to early-stage breast cancer patients who've been treated with a certain type of chemotherapy.

Does radiation for breast cancer make you immunocompromised?

Local radiation therapy for breast cancer, which treats the area where the cancer was found, doesn't usually make a major impact on the immune system. Radiation treatments can irritate the skin, causing small breaks that could allow bacteria and germs to enter.

How is a person's daily life affected by breast cancer?

These may include hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms, fatigue, chronic breast pain, lymphedema and a loss of sex drive. It can be hard to plan for or cope with these late effects since they vary from person to person.

How does cancer affect the body physically?

A cancer can grow into,or begin to push on nearby organs, blood vessels, and nerves. This pressure causes some of the signs and symptoms of cancer. A cancer may also cause symptoms like fever, extreme tiredness (fatigue), or weight loss. This may be because cancer cells use up much of the body's energy supply.

What are 3 side effects of cancer treatments?

Side Effects of Cancer TreatmentAnemia.Appetite Loss.Bleeding and Bruising (Thrombocytopenia)Constipation.Delirium.Diarrhea.Edema (Swelling)Fatigue.More items...

Will I ever feel normal again after breast cancer?

In many ways, it will be a lot like the life you had before, but in other ways, it will be very different. Call it your "new normal." From your relationships with your family and your spouse to eating habits and exercise, breast cancer will change your life in ways that last well after treatment ends.

What are the long-term side effects of chemotherapy for breast cancer?

These long-term and late side effects may include:Fatigue.Headaches.Pain and numbness (peripheral neuropathy)Dental issues.Lymphedema.Musculoskeletal symptoms.Bone loss and osteoporosis.Heart problems.More items...

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