Breast Cancer Awareness
Three potential side effects of breast cancer treatments
Cancer is a painful, potentially
life-threatening disease. Though
discomfort might be the fi rst
warning sign that compels people to
visit their physicians on the road to
receiving a cancer diagnosis, cancer
treatments can produce a host of side
effects, including pain, as well.
According to the Sidney Kimmel
Cancer Center, breast-cancer treatments
can create both long-term side
effects and late side effects. Long-term
side effects are those that begin during
treatment and continue after all treatments
have stopped, while late side
effects refers to symptoms that can appear
weeks, months, or even years after
treatments have ended.
The list of potential side effects of
breast cancer treatments is lengthy, but
may include the following conditions
or issues:
Fatigue
The nonprofi t organization Breastcancer.
org notes that fatigue is the most
common side effect of breast-cancer
treatments, with some estimates suggesting
it affects as many as 90 percent
of all patients.
Some breast-cancer patients may
experience fatigue after treatment and
fi nd it’s worsening because they are
eating less and not getting enough nutrients.
In such instances, the initial
fatigue may make people too tired to
cook, ultimately contributing to more
fatigue when they are not
eating or eating convenient
yet potentially
unhealthy foods.
Cooking healthy
foods in bulk
when fatigue
is not overwhelmi
n g
and accepting
others’
offers to
cook is a
great way
for cancer
patients to
ensure their
diets are helping
them combat fatigue
and not making
fatigue worse.
Lymphedema
Johns Hopkins School of
Medicine notes that, following breastcancer
treatment, some patients may
suffer from lymphedema, a condition
characterized by the accumulation of
lymphatic fl uid in the tissues. Lymphedema
most often occurs in the
arms, but can contribute to swelling in
other parts of the body as well.
Why some people suffer from
lymphedema after treatment
and others don’t
is a mystery, though
surgeons at Johns
Hopkins Breast
Center have
noticed a
low occur
renc e
of lymphedema
in patients
who have
undergone
s e n t i n e l
node biopsies
or axillary
node dissection.
Breast-cancer
patients are at risk
of lymphedema for
the rest of their lives after
treatment, and while there’s no way
to prevent it, patients should avoid
getting needle sticks or blood pressure
tests in arms where lymph nodes
were removed. In addition, any injuries
or cuts in arms where lymph
nodes were removed should be treated
with vigilance.
Infertility
Many women will stop menstruating
while undergoing chemotherapy or after
chemo treatments, and that cessation
is often temporary. These irregularities
may be traced to hormonal therapies
that make the ovaries stop producing
eggs. However, in some instances, even
premenopausal women may have trouble
getting pregnant after hormonal therapy.
Breastcancer.org notes that women
whose periods do not return after treatment
may still be fertile, but also notes
that women who are close to menopause
when beginning chemo may become
permanently infertile. Women who have
been diagnosed with breast cancer who
are concerned about post-treatment infertility
should speak with their physicians
immediately about their prospects
of getting pregnant after treatment, including
fertility treatments and the potential
safety risks of getting pregnant after
being diagnosed with breast cancer.
Breast-cancer treatments save lives
every day. When discussing treatments
with their physicians, breast-cancer patients
should ask questions about potential
short- and long-term side effects.
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8 October 10, 2019 Schneps Media
/Breastcancer.org
