How painful is chemotherapy?

Why it happens: Chemotherapy may cause painful side effects like burning, numbness and tingling or shooting pains in your hands and feet, as well as mouth sores, headaches, muscle and stomach pain. Pain can be caused by the cancer itself or by the chemo.

What is chemo pain like?

Some chemotherapy drugs can cause painful side effects, such as aching in the muscles and joints, headaches and stomach pains. Pain may be felt as burning, numbness, tingling or shooting pains in the hands and feet (called peripheral nerve damage). This type of pain can last long after treatment ends.

Is chemotherapy a painful procedure?

Chemotherapy is often given in combination with other chemotherapy drugs or with other treatments, such as targeted therapy, radiation therapy or immunotherapy. Does chemotherapy hurt? IV chemotherapy should not cause any pain while being administered.

Is chemotherapy the most painful?

Chemotherapy is a drug-based treatment for cancer. It's commonly administered intravenously, although some chemotherapy drugs are injected or taken orally. While this treatment may cause discomfort, it isn't typically painful. Pain caused by nerve damage is a potential short-term effect of chemotherapy.

How long does the pain last after chemotherapy?

The pain usually starts 2-3 days after receiving chemotherapy and can last up to 7 days in total. Pain can have a potentially huge impact on a person's ability to live their day-to-day life.

What to Expect During Chemotherapy

What are the hardest days after chemo?

For most people the side effects were worst in the first few days after treatment, then they gradually felt better until the next treatment. Some said the effects were worse with each successive treatment. Most side effects don't persist and disappear within a few weeks after the end of treatment.

What can you not do while on chemo?

A person undergoing chemotherapy should avoid eating undercooked or raw food, interacting with actively infectious people, overexerting themselves, and consuming too much alcohol. There are also things that a person can do to minimize risks during chemotherapy.

How harsh is chemo on the body?

Chemotherapy lowers your amount of red blood cells, which carry oxygen around the body. If your red blood cell count drops too low, you'll develop anaemia. Symptoms of anaemia include: tiredness and lack of energy – this tends to be more severe than the general fatigue associated with chemotherapy.

How many rounds of chemo is normal?

During a course of treatment, you usually have around 4 to 8 cycles of treatment. A cycle is the time between one round of treatment until the start of the next. After each round of treatment you have a break, to allow your body to recover.

What is the life expectancy after chemotherapy?

During the 3 decades, the proportion of survivors treated with chemotherapy alone increased from 18% in 1970-1979 to 54% in 1990-1999, and the life expectancy gap in this chemotherapy-alone group decreased from 11.0 years (95% UI, 9.0-13.1 years) to 6.0 years (95% UI, 4.5-7.6 years).

Does chemo get worse with each treatment?

Most types of pain related to chemotherapy get better or go away between individual treatments. However, nerve damage often gets worse with each dose. Sometimes the drug causing the nerve damage has to be stopped. It can take months or years for nerve damage from chemotherapy to improve or go away.

What to expect after first chemo?

You may be feeling tired, relieved, anxious, and happy all at the same time after your first treatment. Once you are home, follow all instructions given to you. Take your medications on time, rest, hydrate, and eat. Keep track of any side effects or new feelings you have, and report these to your care team.

How sick do you feel with chemo?

Chemotherapy can cause fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, bowel issues such as constipation or diarrhoea, hair loss, mouth sores, skin and nail problems. You may have trouble concentrating or remembering things. There can also be nerve and muscle effects and hearing changes. You will be at increased risk of infections.

What organ is chemo hard on?

Some chemo drugs can damage cells in the heart, kidneys, bladder, lungs, and nervous system. Sometimes, you can take medicines with the chemo to help protect your body's normal cells. There are also treatments to help relieve side effects.

How does it feel to get chemotherapy done?

Patients often feel lightheaded, sleepy or numbed as these drugs function much like sedatives. Many take advantage of this effect to sleep through the remaining hours of drug delivery. Many patients experience a low-level warmth or mild burning sensation during chemotherapy.

When should you refuse chemotherapy?

Because of chemotherapy's possible risks and side effects, it is not always recommended. Your oncologist may recommend avoiding chemotherapy if your body is not healthy enough to withstand chemotherapy or if there is a more effective treatment available.

Which cancers have the lowest survival rate?

Cancer survival rates by cancer type

The cancers with the lowest five-year survival estimates are mesothelioma (7.2%), pancreatic cancer (7.3%) and brain cancer (12.8%). The highest five-year survival estimates are seen in patients with testicular cancer (97%), melanoma of skin (92.3%) and prostate cancer (88%).

Is chemo worth the risk?

If there's a high likelihood that chemotherapy may get rid of your cancer, that benefit may outweigh possible side effects. Some patients say they actually feel better and have more energy soon after starting chemotherapy because the symptoms of their cancer regress.

Can you live a normal life while on chemo?

Some people find they can lead an almost normal life during chemotherapy. But others find everyday life more difficult. You may feel unwell during and shortly after each treatment but recover quickly between treatments. You may be able to get back to your usual activities as you begin to feel better.

What's worse chemo or radiation?

Radiation therapy involves giving high doses of radiation beams directly into a tumor. The radiation beams change the DNA makeup of the tumor, causing it to shrink or die. This type of cancer treatment has fewer side effects than chemotherapy since it only targets one area of the body.

How long after chemo do you feel sick?

Many people feel fine for the first few hours following chemotherapy. Usually, some reaction occurs about four to six hours later. However, some people don't react until 12 or even 24 to 48 hours after treatment. Some people experience almost all of the side effects described below, while others experience almost none.

Can I shower during chemo?

Bathe every day and use warm water. Avoid soaking in spas or hot tubs. Use a mild soap for bathing. Use a soft towel to gently wash skin.

Can I go out in public after chemo?

When undergoing chemotherapy, if you feel up to it, it is generally fine to visit public places. Just remember your immune system is weaker than usual and it may be harder for your body to fight off infections.

Why can't you touch a chemo patient?

Chemotherapy drugs are considered to be hazardous to people who handle them or come into contact with them. For patients, this means the drugs are strong enough to damage or kill cancer cells. But this also means the drugs can be a concern for others who might be exposed to them.