Addressing Some of Cancer Treatment’s Most Serious Side Effects – National Cancer Institute (NCI)
National Cancer Institute (NCI) shared the following on LinkedIn:
“Cancer Currents Highlights: Addressing Some of Cancer Treatment’s Most Serious Side Effects
‘I’d walk into a room and think, ‘Why did I come in here?’ It really feels like that fog has taken over your brain, and you can’t process as well as you used to.’
In 2018, a woman with breast cancer described this side effect of her treatment to one of our writers for a story on the syndrome that’s often called “chemo brain.” This mental fogginess can resolve after treatment has ended, but for some, the problem lingers for years.
Treatment-related side effects, unfortunately, are an inescapable part of the cancer experience. Some, like nausea, itchy skin, and low blood cell counts, are short term. But others—from persistent joint pain to serious heart problems—may persist for many years.
Of course, the side effects of cancer treatment go beyond the physical. There’s also the economic fallout of a cancer diagnosis and the time burden associated with treatment and follow-up—called financial and time toxicity, respectively. And it’s not just the person with cancer who’s affected: Their family and loved ones, who often serve as informal caregivers, experience cancer’s tribulations in their own way.
One thing I’ve learned in my nearly two decades at NCI is that the institute supports a great deal of research on identifying the most problematic treatment-related issues faced by people with cancer and devising ways to better manage or limit them. Over the last 12 months, we’ve reported on some excellent examples of this work, several of which are provided below.
As always, we welcome your feedback on Cancer Currents. And if you know somebody with an interest in these topics, please feel free to forward them this newsletter.
Carmen Phillips
Managing Editor, Cancer Currents”