If you are about to begin treatment for lung cancer, you may have concerns about side effects. Side effects are problems caused by the cancer itself or that result in addition to the intended effects of treatment.
“Side effects largely depend on the therapy given,” says Dr. Steven Dubinett, professor in the department of pathology and laboratory medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and member of the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Regardless of the type or severity of your side effects, addressing them is a major component of cancer care. “The management of symptoms and side effects is crucial to getting the best quality of life and the most benefit from your treatment,” says Dr. Jonathan Goldman, health sciences clinical instructor in the division of hematology/oncology at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.
[See: 7 Things You Didn’t Know About Lung Cancer.]
Common Side Effects
Lung cancer can cause fatigue, weight loss and respiratory problems, such as coughing or shortness of breath. If the cancer metastasizes (spreads), it can cause pain, especially in the bones. Metastasized lung cancer can also cause liver dysfunction and headaches or nausea if it spreads to the brain, Goldman says.
Gastrointestinal disorders, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and constipation, are a common side effect of both cancer treatment — especially chemotherapy — and pain medications.
The good news: There are effective ways to deal with many side effects, and today’s treatments are less toxic than earlier treatments. “Anti-nausea medicines are effective for most patients,” Goldman says. “And new chemotherapy treatments have [fewer] side effects. Most don’t have hair loss. This helps patients feel more normal.”
Anti-diarrheal products, such as Imodium, usually relieve diarrhea. Adding fiber to your diet and using over-the-counter laxatives and stool softeners, which absorb fluid in the colon, help alleviate constipation. For severe cases of gastrointestinal distress, your doctor can prescribe stronger medications.
[See: Pharmacist-Recommended Stomach and GI Products.]
Taking steps to avoid gastrointestinal symptoms, and treating them promptly, will help prevent malnutrition (not getting enough calories or appropriate nutrition) and dehydration — which you definitely don’t want when you are undergoing cancer treatment. Drink plenty of fluids with electrolytes and limit caffeinated and sugary drinks.
Pain may be the most worrisome side effect for many cancer patients. Cancer-related pain can vary depending on your age, type and stage of cancer and your treatment. Having cancer, however, does not automatically mean you will have pain.
If you do experience pain, keep detailed records about where it hurt, how it felt, how long it lasted and what made it better or worse, and share this information with your doctor. The best way to manage pain is to prevent it from starting or keep it from getting worse, says the National Cancer Institute. Pain is easier to control when it’s mild, so tell your doctor as soon as you start to have symptoms.
[See: Your Guide to Over-the-Counter Pain Relief.]
New Treatments Offer Survival Benefits With (Sometimes) Fewer Side Effects
Some of the newest types of lung cancer treatment, including targeted therapy and immunotherapy, are making a big impact and boosting survival, sometimes with less severe side effects. Targeted treatments, which treat genetic mutations, come in pill form and are less likely to cause low blood counts or nausea. “They are not like chemotherapy,” Goldman says. “[Side effects] vary from one pill to another, but are usually easy to manage.”
Immunotherapy drugs can be very powerful. They turn on the immune system to fight cancer, but can also turn on inflammation (an immune response) anywhere in the body, including the heart, brain and endocrine system. “We have to be diligent to watch for this,” Goldman says. “We’re looking for ways to predict [these responses], but we don’t have them yet.” Patients with pre-existing immune problems, such as severe lupus or inflammatory bowel disease, are not good candidates for immunotherapy. “It’s too dangerous to put [cancer patients with immune diseases] on these drugs.”
Mild side effects of immunotherapy treatments can include rashes, fever and fatigue, Dubinett says. More severe, but less common, side effects include colitis and thyroid problems. “We can manage these,” Dubinett says. “We can stop medications or prescribe other medications to blunt those symptoms. Many [of these side effects] are treatable.”
Palliative Care
Goldman says the American Society of Clinical Oncology and other cancer organizations recommend that patients begin receiving palliative care, also called comfort care, early in their diagnosis. Palliative care is holistic, treating cancer symptoms, side effects and all the other psychological, social and spiritual needs a patient has. Unlike hospice care, you can receive palliative care while you are undergoing curative treatment for your cancer. “In studies, palliative care improves quality of life and survival,” Goldman says.
Always tell your health care team about any symptoms you experience. Not only can they ease your discomfort and improve the quality of your life, talking about pain or other side effects will help your doctor understand how your cancer — and the treatment — are affecting your body.
More from U.S. News
5 Solid Lifestyle Changes to Help Prevent Cancer
What Causes Cancer? 5 Unlikely Claims Explained
7 Things You Didn’t Know About Lung Cancer
Here’s How to Manage Lung Cancer Side Effects originally appeared on usnews.com
