Understanding Cancer

The Basic Information About Cancer And Chemotherapy Everyone Needs to Know

Cancer is complicated. Chemotherapy is complicated. IT’S ALL COMPLICATED.

But don’t panic! This page is here to help!

This page will give you a 3000ft overview of cancer. It is important to have (at the bare minimum) basic knowledge about cancer, common treatment protocols, and typical treatment side effects.

When I was first diagnosed with leukemia at the ripe old age of 12, my first thought was: “Leuke….what?”

I had no idea what leukemia was. All I knew about cancer was that old people got it sometimes and died. 

I had to quickly gain a better understanding of the disease I was been diagnosed with.

It’s vital for every cancer patient or their caretakers to understand their particular disease and have a basic idea of what to expect. Doctors will give you the pertinent information, but when you are not at a hospital or in a clinic getting chemo, you are more or less on your own.

My family and I learned this pretty quickly. In the early stages of my own chemotherapy, my mom was the person who jumped onto the “research cancer” bus.

A cancer diagnosis means a lifestyle change. In order to give your body a fighting chance, you have to first understand what it is going through and what it needs. Then, you must be able to adapt your everyday activities accordingly. Some examples of activities that cancer patients will need to be conscious of include exercise, diet, or staying in a germ-free environment.

Below, I will share some of my pre-existing, general knowledge about cancer and chemotherapy. 

And I WILL NOT be showing pictures of smiling patients who appear to be having the time of their lives in hospitals. I’m a realist. Those images are just flat-out ridiculous. 

Alright, important clarifications aside, we can get started! 

What Is Cancer?

 

The National Cancer Institute (coupled with a bit of my own personal commentary) describes cancer this way:

When cells grow old or become damaged, they die, and new cells take their place.

(This is what is normally supposed to occur within the human body).

When cancer develops, however, this orderly process breaks down. Cancers are caused by genetic defects which can be inherited from parents or caused by environmental factors.

(Cancer can start at any point in the body. It begins when cells grow out of control and crowd out normal cells. This disrupts many normal functions of the part of the body that the cancer starts in.)

As cell activity becomes more and more abnormal, old or damaged cells survive when they should die, and new cells form when they are not needed. These extra cells can divide without stopping and may form growths called tumors.

Many cancers form solid tumors, which are masses of tissue. Cancers of the blood, such as leukemia (Hey, that’s me!), generally do not form solid tumors.

Cancerous tumors are malignant, which means they can spread into, or invade, nearby tissues. In addition, as these tumors grow, some cancer cells can break off and travel to distant places in the body through the blood or the lymph system and form new tumors far from the original tumor. Not all cancer is life-threatening. Not all cancer requires treatment with chemotherapy. Some cancer grows very quickly, and some grows slowly over decades.

(Cancer can develop in people of all ages, though some cancers are more likely to develop within a certain age group. For example, people who get leukemia are almost always under the age of ten. This is why my twelve-year-old self was a high-risk cancer patient! Yay!)

Because the numbers of new cancer cases are on the rise, millions of dollars are going into research to find a permanent cure (“In theory”). There are currently many types of treatment including chemotherapy, surgery, hormone treatment, and radiation. All mainstream cancer treatments have heavy-duty side-effects, so many people turn to natural and alternative therapies as well.

The length of chemotherapy regimens varies, depending on the type of cancer. Many cancers only require 4-6 months of chemo but others require 2-4 years of treatment (my leukemia required two-and-a-half years).

While medical technologies and studies are advancing rapidly in the 21st century, many cancer patients still have to undergo an effective and brutal chemotherapy regimen that may include radiations, surgeries, bone marrow transplants, or amputations if necessary. 

And that is the gist of it! Now that you know a little more about the despicable thing known as “cancer”, let’s talk treatment.

What are the side effects

of chemotherapy?

While chemotherapy is often very effective in killing cancer, the side effects of this intensive treatment can be all-encompassing Such side effects can take the form of everything from physical damage and strain on every bodily system to emotional trauma to social ostracization.

While it is important to keep in mind that different chemo can have different side-effects, there is a general list (in alphabetical order for your convenience) of the most common side effects of chemotherapy:

Chemotherapy can also affect how you see yourself and impact your social life. 

You can click on any of the hyperlinks above to find out more about them, or you can visit the American Cancer Society website by clicking here.

(note that this is NOT a to-do list, so don’t get competitive or anything) 

Also (as a side note) the “hiccups” side-effect is not a joke! Take it from someone who occasionally suffered from 8-hour periods of non-stop hiccups during her chemotherapy.

During my chemo treatment, I experienced every single side effect on this list except prostheses and seizures (But I did go into a coma upon my first dose of chemo, so that is close to seizures, right?).

If you want to read more details about how chemotherapy impacted my life, you can read My Story.

But don’t get discouraged! I was closer to the “worst-case-scenario” end of the spectrum of cancer patients.

You may be near the “best-case-scenario” end of the spectrum, where the effects of chemotherapy are mild and recovery is a much simpler process.

Regardless of where you fall on this spectrum, every cancer patient is at risk for long-term side effects of chemotherapy. It is important to be aware of these things, especially if you have finished a chemotherapy regimen.

The Long-Term Side Effects of Chemotherapy

Some of the most common long-term effects of chemotherapy include:

 

  • Cardiac concerns
  • Chemo-brain
  • Joint problems
  • Infertility
  • Peripheral Neuropathy
  • Fatigue
  • Hearing loss
  • Effects on the liver, kidneys, and bladder
  • Effects on the skeletal system, respiratory system, and eyes
  • And then the kicker: secondary cancers.

To read more details about these long-term effects, click here.

Your particular long-term risks can vary depending on your treatment regimen and protocol.

The National Children’s Cancer Society has an online tool to inform survivors about the potential long-term effects of chemotherapy.  Results are based on the specific information that you enter regarding the treatment you received.  

I have personally found this tool very accurate and helpful.

To use this tool, click here

It can be hard to think about some of these long-term effects.

But remember that they are a potential cost of the medicine that saved your life.

There are also many things you can do to decrease the chance of these long-term effects. The majority of these actions revolve around living a healthier lifestyle. This includes not smoking or drinking excessively, maintaining a healthy diet, staying hydrated, and exercising.

All of the information on this page is basic. I encourage you to do more research on your specific cancer and further utilize the materials and information I will provide you on this blog. Take advantage of the Age of Google!

There is so much information out there. Read up on cancer and chemo. Check out research studies. If you are a visual person, go watch scientific cancer videos on YouTube.

Utilize any and all medical professionals. That is their job. Ask them questions until they can’t stand you anymore. Take advantage of their knowledge to help construct your own understanding.

Two of the best resources for learning the basics of cancer and the big picture of cancer, including how to find additional support, are:

1) The American Cancer Society

2) The National Cancer Institute

These resources should help give you a glimpse of the “big picture” of cancer. But they can only be a stepping stone in your journey.

One of the best ways you can help yourself during the battle with cancer is to understand everything you can about how certain types of cancer and chemo can affect the human body.

The more you know about what is going on under your skin, the more equipped you are to take care of your health and give your body the best shot possible.

As you move forward and collect information, you will want to look for a mix of personal accounts (this blog!), scientific studies and facts, and a surplus of medical information.

Use good discernment and stay positive as you research! Gaining knowledge about your specific cancer and how your treatment can affect you adds tools to your belt. Let the information on this page be the simple foundation for a future complex structure.

So, stay up to date on my blog posts and research away!

Don`t copy text!