Chemotherapy Questions

1. Do I need shingles vaccine if I had chicken pox?

   Yes, even if you haven't had chicken pox, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the shingles vaccine (Zostavax, which was approved in 2006) for all adults over age 60. Many older adults don't remember whether they've had chicken pox, but the CDC says that 99 percent of adults over age 40 have probably had it...
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2. Are there white blood cells supplements to rejuvenate blood counts during chemo?

   A very common side effect of chemotherapy is low white blood cell counts. This happens because the chemotherapy drugs kill the cells in the bone marrow that produce new white blood cells. There are drugs called Neulasta and Neupogen that are very effective in boosting white blood cell production; has your doctor been prescribing these...
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3. Are the bumps on my head a result of chemo?

   Chemotherapy causes hair loss by damaging the fast-growing cells that line the hair follicles. The bumps you describe could be caused by irritation or inflammation, which many cancer patients experience after hair loss. Or it could be that oil from the pores is clogging the hair follicle, causing a type of whitehead...
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4. What are the chances of chemotherapy causing a stroke?

   In my experience, chemotherapy does not typically cause ischemic (non-bleeding) strokes. In general, ischemic strokes are much more common than hemorrhagic (bleeding) strokes, and are caused by a blockage in a blood vessel that supplies the brain.
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5. Does the fact that my father has not lost his hair this time mean the cherotherapy is less effective?

   The question of hair loss and the effectiveness of chemotherapy are 2 different things. If your father is not losing his hair, it does NOT necessarily mean that the chemotherapy is any less effective than it was before.
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6. How do you recover from chemotherapy?

   Thank you for posing this question as I think many people may experience similar situations.
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7. Is this continued skin irritation due to chemo from seven years ago?

   First, Congratulations on your having gotten through such a tough time and being 7 years out. I hope you are feeling well overall, aside from this annoying, persistent hand and foot syndrome.
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8. How long does it take for my baby hair to fall out because of chemo?

   Hello,
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9. How can Mom prevent dry skin and scalp during chemo with Taxol?

   Thank you for this question. It sounds like you are taking an active supportive role in helping your mother manage her treatment.
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10. What can help neck pain after chemo treatments?

    This kind of pain is not usually associated with chemotherapy, but my father had this as well. We found, strangely enough, that it was the positioning of the pillows in the bed (as he was receiving chemo and watching TV) that gave him cramping the next day. When we moved him to an adjustable chair, he had no longer had the pain...
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11. Which systems in the body are affected by chemotherapy?

    There are many different drugs that fall into the category of chemotherapy medications. Since they are made from different chemicals, they can have very different and specific side effects that affect different parts of the body. A few chemotherapy drugs have a very narrow target, and affect a certain kind of cells and not others...
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12. Where can you get cancer chemo bracelets to help with nausea?

    The drugs used for chemotherapy work by killing all fast-growing cells throughout the body, which means they damage the bone marrow cells that generate new white (and red) blood cells. You can read more about how chemotherapy affects your white cell count here...
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13. Chemo and Sex: Is it safe for the woman?

    Sex is safe for both the woman and man during chemotherapy, no matter whether it is the woman or man undergoing chemotherapy. Neither cancer nor cancer treatment is contagious in any way.
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14. During chemo, some taxol went directly under my skin on the back of my hand. Can anything be done for the pain?

    Chemotherapies are generally toxic to normal human cells as well as to cancer cells and so it is not a surprise that the leak of some Taxol (paclitaxel) could cause a great deal of pain. Paclitaxel is an irritant drug. It will cause irritation to the skin and other tissues if it leaks.
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15. Why do eyelashes grow in and fall out since chemotherapy?

    Many cancer survivors report problems with eyelashes and eyebrows continuing to fall out, or growing in thinner or shorter, several years after they completed chemotherapy. Chemotherapy can cause long-term changes to the hair follicles, which is why the hair on your head often comes back a different color or texture than it was before...
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16. Is it true that a woman's body changes after chemo?

    Chemotherapy is intended to be a short-term treatment, and your body should return to normal afterwards. However, some types of chemotherapy can have long-term effects, particularly those that affect the hormonal system. Some women who take chemotherapy drugs that suppress estrogen, for example, go...
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17. How do you get chemo chills to stop?

    Symptoms like chills, shaking and fever are the body’s way of trying to increase temperature through muscular activity. These are seen during chemotherapy and may continue for hours or even days afterwards. Chills are particularly common with certain cancer drugs such as interferon, interleukin-2, ...
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18. If you miss a chemotherapy appointment would a doctor give you a double treatment the next time?

    This is very unlikely. Usually, a missed dose is because the patient is not tolerating the chemotherapy well. Oncologists monitor this "toxicity" to the patient, and may reduce or hold doses, based on your current state of health and your recovery from previous doses...
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19. What happens to patients on chemo if they catch a cold or the flu?

    When a cancer patient is undergoing chemotherapy treatment, it almost always lowers his white blood cell count. Sometimes this happens only for a short period of time and the white blood cell count bounces back, other times it becomes an ongoing problem...
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20. Is it safe for a chemo patient who has now grown back their hair to get a perm?

    The new hair that grows in after a round of chemotherapy is very delicate and prone to breakage, so treatments such as perms and hair dyes are not a good idea. Chemotherapy drugs affect the health of the follicles in the skin that produce the hair, so you don't want to introduce new chemicals that could...
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