What Have I Learned By Reading This
You learned about:
- Why chemotherapy can cause anemia
- How to know if you may have anemia
- How your doctor will treat your anemia
- Things you can do to help manage your anemia
- When to call your doctor
If you have any questions, please talk to your doctor or health care team. It is important that you understand what is going on with your prostate cancer treatment. This knowledge will help you take better care of yourself and feel more in control so that you can get the most from your treatment.
- Anemia: when you do not have enough red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout your body.
- Anticancer: medicines used in the treatment of cancer.
- Blood transfusion: when you get blood donated by another person.
- Chemotherapy : a prostate cancer treatment, which treats your whole body with powerful anticancer medicines to kill many of your prostate cancer cells.
- Fatigue: mental or physical tiredness.
- I.V. or intravenous : a plastic tube going into a vein in your arm, which gives you any fluids or medicine, you might need.
- Platelets: cells in your blood that help stop bleeding.
- Red Blood Cells: cells in your blood that carry oxygen from your lungs throughout your body.
- Respiration: how quickly you are breathing.
- Side Effects: unwanted changes in your body caused by your prostate cancer treatment.
- Unit: a pint of blood given to you during a blood transfusion.
- White Blood Cells: cells in your blood that help you fight infection.
Your Gp Practice Nurse And District Nurse
Your GP, practice nurse, and district or community nurse will work with other health professionals to co-ordinate your care and offer you support and advice. They can also refer you to local services. They can visit you in your home and also help support your family. They might also care for you if you go into a nursing home or hospice.
Consequences Of Cancer Treatment
If you have severe anemia, you may have to delay your cancer treatment or reduce your dose until your anemia is better managed. Anemia can cause weakness and also make some cancer treatments less effective.
Your doctor will evaluate your best course of treatment to minimize possible complications caused by cancer treatment while you have anemia.
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When Is Radiation Therapy Used As Adjuvant Treatment
Adjuvant therapy is an additional cancer treatment that is given after the primary treatment. Adjuvant therapy lowers the risk that the cancer comes back. Primary treatment for skin cancer is often surgery, with radiation therapy as an adjuvant therapy. Radiation kills cancer cells left after the skin cancer was removed.2 This is recommended for:
- BCC, SCC, or melanoma that grew into a nerve.6,8,9
- Non-melanoma skin cancer when cancer cells are found on the edges of the sample despite Mohs surgery.
- Deep desmoplastic melanoma, a type of melanoma that is likely to recur.6
- Melanoma that recurs.6
Adjuvant radiation therapy is also recommend after lymph node removal.4,6 Without radiation therapy, about 40% of high-risk individuals have recurrent melanoma in the remaining lymph nodes.10 With adjuvant radiation therapy, about 10% of people have lymph node cancer recurrence.10
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The Initial Causes Do You Need Chemo For Prostate Cancer
One of the first symptoms of prostate issues is pain or tenderness in the groin or lower back. This can be the result of a noncancerous condition called enlarged prostatic tissue, or it could be an infection of the bladder. In either case, its important to see a doctor as soon as possible. If youre suffering from prostate pain, you may want to consider reducing your caffeine intake.
Another symptom of a potentially enlarged prostate is difficulty starting a stream of urine, leaking, or dribbling. These symptoms are not serious, but theyre still alarming. Most men put up with an enlarged prostate for years before seeking medical attention, but they typically seek treatment as soon as they notice symptoms. Even if you dont have symptoms, its worth getting checked to determine if you have any prostate issues.
If you experience nightly bathroom runs, you may be experiencing an enlarged prostate. You may be having difficulty starting a stream of urine, or you may even be dribbling or leaking during the day. These problems arent life-threatening, but can become a nuisance. You should not ignore these signs and seek treatment as soon as you notice them. If you feel any of these symptoms, you should consult a doctor.
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How Do I Know If I May Have Anemia
Some signs of anemia are:
- Feeling fatigue or tiredness
- Low blood pressure
- A rise in your heart rate or respiration
If you have any of these signs talk to your doctor or health care team. If your doctor finds that you have anemia, there are medicines and treatments that can help you feel better. It is important that you talk to your doctor or health care team about any side effects you may have during or after your treatment. Your health care team can help treat these problems.
Associations Between Hematologic Data And Prostate Cancer Incidence And Mortality
Estimates are corrected for regression dilution bias uncorrected results are displayed in Supplementary Table S2.
Higher total red blood cell count was associated with an elevated risk of prostate cancer . Higher MCV , MCH , MCHC , and MSCV were associated with a lower prostate cancer risk . Red blood cell indices were not associated with prostate cancer mortality .
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What You Need To Know About The Prostate What Type Of Anemia Is Associated With Prostate Cancer
A enlarged prostate can also cause blockages in the urethra. A blocked urethra can also damage the kidneys. A patient suffering from an enlargement of the prostate may have pain in his lower abdomen and genitals. If pain is present, a digital rectal examination will reveal hard areas. A doctor may prescribe surgery or perform an endoscopic procedure. If the enlarged prostate is not completely removed, it will shrink.
While the size of an enlarged prostate will influence the extent of urinary symptoms, men may experience a range of urinary symptoms. Some men have minimal or no symptoms at all. Some men will have a very enlarged prostate, whereas others will have a mild enlargement. Generally, the symptoms can stabilize over time. Some men may have an enlarged prostate but not notice it. If they have an enlarged colon, their physician can perform a TURP procedure.
Dealing With Prostate Cancer
Being diagnosed and living with prostate cancer can change how you feel about life. If you or your loved one is dealing with prostate cancer you may feel scared, stressed or even angry. There is no right way to feel and everyone reacts differently.
Visit our wellbeing hub for information to help support you in looking after your emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing. If you are close to someone with prostate cancer, find out more about how you can support someone with prostate cancer and where to get more information.
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How Is Anemia Diagnosed
A diagnosis of anemia can be made through a complete blood count laboratory test that measures your hemoglobin level and other characteristics of your red blood cells, including their size. To determine what is causing the anemia, a number of other tests can be performed, including blood chemistry tests, a bone marrow exam, and test of your stool to check for internal bleeding.
Another test that can diagnose iron-deficiency anemia is serum ferritin level. Ferritin is a protein that stores iron. Low levels of ferritin lead to iron-deficiency anemia. Elevated levels of ferritin, on the other hand, are often found in patients with conditions that cause the body to absorb too much iron, such as hemochromatosis. Elevated levels of ferritin can also be due to inflammation. High levels of ferritin have been found in patients with some forms of cancer, such as lymphoma, cervical, and breast cancer, and high serum ferritin levels are associated with poor survival in some cancers.
Metastatic Spinal Cord Compression
Metastatic spinal cord compression happens when cancer cells that have spread from the prostate grow in or near to the spine, and press on the spinal cord. MSCC isnt common, but you need to be aware of the risk if your prostate cancer has spread to your bones or has a high risk of spreading to your bones. The risk of MSCC is highest if the cancer has already spread to the spine. Speak to your doctor or nurse for more information about your risk.
MSCC can cause any of the following symptoms.
- Pain or soreness in your lower, middle or upper back or neck. The pain may be severe or get worse over time. It might get worse when you cough, sneeze, lift or strain, go to the toilet, or lie down. It might get worse when you are lying down. It may wake you at night or stop you from sleeping.
- A narrow band of pain around your abdomen or chest that can move towards your lower back, buttocks or legs.
- Pain that moves down your arms or legs.
- Weakness or loss of control of your arms or legs, or difficulty standing or walking. You might feel unsteady on your feet or feel as if your legs are giving way. Some people say they feel clumsy.
- Numbness or tingling in your legs, arms, fingers, toes, buttocks, stomach area or chest, that doesnt go away.
- Problems controlling your bladder or bowel. You might not be able to empty your bladder or bowel, or you might have no control over emptying them.
Dont wait
It is very important to seek medical advice immediately if you think you might have MSCC.
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What Will I Learn By Reading This
When you have chemotherapy to control your prostate cancer, you may have side effects or unwanted changes in your body. Side effects are different from person to person, and may be different from one treatment to the next. Some people have no or very mild side effects. The good news is that there are ways to deal with most of the side effects. You will learn:
- Why chemotherapy can cause anemia
- How to know if you may have anemia
- How your doctor will treat your anemia
- Things you can do to help manage your anemia
- When to call your doctor
It is important for you to learn how to manage the side effects you may have from chemotherapy so that you can keep doing as many of your normal activities as possible.
Your blood is made up of three kinds of blood cells:
- White blood cells help you fight infections.
- Platelets help your body stop bleeding when you cut yourself.
- Red blood cells carry oxygen from your lungs throughout your body.
Anemia is when you do not have enough red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout your body. Your body needs fuel to run, just like a car. The oxygen your red blood cells carry is the fuel your body needs to stay active.
Side Effects Of Prostate Surgery
The major possible side effects of radical prostatectomy are urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction . These side effects can also occur with other forms of prostate cancer treatment.
Urinary incontinence: You may not be able to control your urine or you may have leakage or dribbling. Being incontinent can affect you not only physically but emotionally and socially as well. These are the major types of incontinence:
- Men with stress incontinence might leak urine when they cough, laugh, sneeze, or exercise. Stress incontinence is the most common type after prostate surgery. Its usually caused by problems with the valve that keeps urine in the bladder . Prostate cancer treatments can damage this valve or the nerves that keep the valve working.
- Men with overflow incontinence have trouble emptying their bladder. They take a long time to urinate and have a dribbling stream with little force. Overflow incontinence is usually caused by blockage or narrowing of the bladder outlet by scar tissue.
- Men with urge incontinencehave a sudden need to urinate. This happens when the bladder becomes too sensitive to stretching as it fills with urine.
- Rarely after surgery, men lose all ability to control their urine. This is called continuous incontinence.
After surgery for prostate cancer, normal bladder control usually returns within several weeks or months. This recovery usually occurs slowly over time.
There are several options for treating erectile dysfunction:
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Side Effects Of Chemotherapy
All chemotherapy drugs work in slightly different ways, making it challenging to predict side effects for individual patients. Dosages, drug combinations and drug responses will vary from patient to patient.
The American Cancer Society lists the following as the most common side effects of chemotherapy:
-
Increased risk of infections
What Types Of Hormone Therapy Are Used For Prostate Cancer
Hormone therapy for prostate cancer can block the production or use of androgens . Currently available treatments can do so in several ways:
- reducing androgen production by the testicles
- blocking the action of androgens throughout the body
- block androgen production throughout the body
Treatments that reduce androgen production by the testicles are the most commonly used hormone therapies for prostate cancer and the first type of hormone therapy that most men with prostate cancer receive. This form of hormone therapy includes:
Treatments that block the action of androgens in the body are typically used when ADT stops working. Such treatments include:
Treatments that block the production of androgens throughout the body include:
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Anemia And Colon Cancer
Colon cancer is caused by abnormal growth of cells in the large intestine . These cells can form tumors on or inside blood vessels in the colon that carry red blood cells.
Many people with colon cancer and bloody stool, as well as weakness and fatigue linked to their anemia. Iron deficiency anemia may be the first sign of colon cancer in some patients.
What Are The Signs Of Skin Cancer
The most common warning sign of skin cancer is a change on your skin, typically a new growth, or a change in an existing growth or mole. The signs and symptoms of common and less common types of skin cancers are described below.
Basal cell carcinoma
Basal cell cancer is most commonly seen on sun-exposed areas of skin including your hands, face, arms, legs, ears, mouths, and even bald spots on the top of your head. Basal cell cancer is the most common type of skin cancer in the world. In most people, its slow growing, usually doesnt spread to other parts of the body and is not life-threatening.
Signs and symptoms of basal cell carcinoma include:
- A small, smooth, pearly or waxy bump on the face, ears, and neck.
- A flat, pink/red- or brown-colored lesion on the trunk or arms and legs.
- Areas on the skin that look like scars.
- Sores that look crusty, have a depression in the middle or bleed often.
Squamous cell carcinoma
Squamous cell cancer is most commonly seen on sun-exposed areas of skin including your hands, face, arms, legs, ears, mouths, and even bald spots on the top of your head. This skin cancer can also form in areas such as mucus membranes and genitals.
Signs and symptoms of squamous cell carcinoma include:
- A firm pink or red nodule.
- A rough, scaly lesion that might itch, bleed and become crusty.
Melanoma
Signs and symptoms of melanoma include:
- A brown-pigmented patch or bump.
- A mole that changes in color, size or that bleeds.
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What Can I Do To Manage My Anemia
Just as every cancer patients treatment is different, how anemia affects each person is also different. However, there are things you can do to help deal with this treatment side effect.
- Sleep more at night and take short naps or rest during the day if you can. Feeling tired is one of the most common side effects of anemia.
- Try to plan your day so that light activities are spaced between activities that take more of your energy .
- Naps can be good if they last for short amounts of time . Be sure to get up and move around between them.
- Drink plenty of fluids, at least 8 eight-ounce glasses of water each day. This will help keep you from feeling dizzy when you stand or sit up. It also will help your muscles feel stronger.
- Remember to stand up slowly from sitting or lying down. This helps keep you from getting dizzy.
- Let other people help you do some of your normal daily activities like grocery shopping, laundry or cleaning your home.
- Speak with your boss to see if you can work part-time or flexible hours.
- Eat a health diet to keep up your strength. Speak to your doctor or health care team about what to eat.
- Speak to your doctor or health care team about medicines you can take to help manage your anemia.
Plan For Managing Your Anemia
- Who is going to help you with your daily activities like grocery shopping or doing the laundry?
- What foods can you eat to help strengthen your body?
- How do you get in touch with your doctor or health care team if you need help?
Worsening Anemia Signals Poorer Outcomes In Men Treated For Advanced Prostate Cancer
Researchers from the Oregon Health & Science University Cancer Institute and Southwest Oncology Group have identified a new method of determining how men with advanced prostate cancer will respond to treatment. They found that worsening anemia during the first three months of hormonal therapy for prostate cancer that has spread predicts shorter survival and earlier relapse.
“These results suggest that by monitoring anemia during the first three months of treatment, we can provide men with a better idea of how well they will fare,” said principal investigator Tomasz Beer, M.D., director of the prostate cancer research program in the OHSU Cancer Institute. Beer presented results of this study at the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Urological Association in Atlanta on Tues., May 23.
Researchers also found that race alone was not a strong predictor of survival or disease progression. However, they found that men with the same hemoglobin levels before treatment experienced significantly different overall and progression-free survival depending on whether they were black or white. Hemoglobin levels in the blood are measured to monitor anemia. Lower levels of hemoglobin are considered anemic.
Overall, researchers found that anemic blacks fare worse than anemic whites and that blacks with high baseline hemoglobin fare better than whites with similar hemoglobin levels.
This study was funded by the National Cancer Institute.
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