Chemotherapy Myths and Misconceptions [Podcast]

Chemotherapy has long been a mainstay of cancer treatment. But a lot has changed since Sidney Farber, MD, the founder of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, achieved the first remissions for pediatric leukemia using chemotherapy in the 1940s.

Today, in the era of precision cancer medicine, there are newer treatments and chemotherapy that can more specifically target cancer cells. Researchers have also discovered the effectiveness of using chemotherapy drugs in conjunction with other drugs to pack a more powerful punch. To put it simply: Chemo is a lot better today than it used to be.

Still, there’s a lot of misinformation surrounding this kind of cancer treatment. In this episode, we explore some of the most common myths and misconceptions with Clare Sullivan, MPH, BSN, clinical program manager for Patient Education at Dana-Farber.

Transcript

MEGAN RIESZ: So, first, can you just kind of explain generally what chemotherapy is and how it’s commonly administered?

CLARE SULLIVAN, NPH, BSN: Sure. Think about what the body does. The body is made up of cells that normally divide and grow and are replaced. Think about how your fingernails grow. Chemotherapy (or chemo, for short) is a group of medicines or drugs that treat cancer and other diseases. Cancer also divides and replicates.

Different chemotherapy drugs act in various ways. Some chemotherapy drugs can kill the cancer as they divide at critical times during the cell cycle, something that we learned way back in high school. Some chemotherapy can target the cancer’s food supply and kill important hormones and other nutrients it needs to grow. And then some chemotherapies can target the cancer’s genes and prevent it from growing. Then, one of the other interesting areas is that some chemotherapy can prevent the tumor from growing new blood vessels that it needs to grow and spread.

There have been many new and exciting developments in the field of cancer care, and when I say this, I mean chemotherapy, whether you add different combinations or other treatments. So, chemotherapy is still a very important tool for treating many cancers today.

MEGAN: Just to be clear, how is chemotherapy different than immunotherapy, which is something that’s talked about a lot today?

SULLIVAN: Well, immunotherapy has received a lot of attention because of new medications discovered that help treat cancer, but immunotherapy is unlike chemotherapy because of the way that it fights cancer.

Let’s start at the beginning. The immune system is a very complex network of cells and organs that defend against foreign substances, like bacteria or viruses.

Think about when you get a cut. The body’s defenses go into action immediately scanning and will recognize any foreign bacteria and then send out the correct army or navy to wipe out that invader. The immune system is so sophisticated that it can remember that invader, and if it comes again, it will recognize it and protect you from that disease. This is very similar to the chicken pox.

MEGAN: And let’s talk about side effects, which can be big considerations for patients. What are some common side effects that patients experience during chemotherapy?

SULLIVAN: The most common side effects for chemotherapy depend on the drug, the manner it’s given, the dose, and how often you get it, but the number one side effect across the board is fatigue. Then there are a few others that I’ll mention: appetite changes, nausea. But again, remember, there’s a lot of anti-nausea medications that are very effective now. A weakened immune system where you might get bruising or bleeding, and this is because of the way the chemotherapy goes after the cell cycle—it decreases the red blood cell and the white blood cell. Constipation and diarrhea are also another side effect, but again, there are a lot of good medications that are very effective. Then, mouth care—mouth care is really important to prevent mouth sores.

I want to go back to my first symptom, which was fatigue. Fatigue is real. Think about it as tiredness that doesn’t go away with rest. If you take a nap and wake up, you should ordinarily feel refreshed, but fatigue is when you wake up and really feel just as tired as when you went to sleep. So, during your treatment, of course, there will be times that you need to rest, but when possible, the best way to offset a host of issues that can happen when you lay in bed all day is to stay active.

Here are some tips. First, I want to think about those days that you’re most tired, really struggling with fatigue and really just around the house. Every time that you get up to the bathroom, try to move around. Move from the bathroom to the couch for a few minutes to a chair, and then move back to bed and continue that cycle as you get up to the bathroom. Just keep moving. Keep walking, even if it’s around the dining room table and in the middle of the night. If you can carry something like a laundry basket, put some weight in it. If you can carry a carton of milk around the dining room table…something just to help you move. Do some arm or leg stretches when you’re in or out of bed. A tip is that if you’re watching TV, put the exercise channel on and follow along in bed.

On a good day, you’re going to want to put your coat on right over that bathrobe, walk around the block, get a good pair of slippers with some comfortable soles, and you don’t even need to change your shoes.

The tip here for you is that you will find your energy perks up a few days before your next chemotherapy treatment. Use this time wisely. This is when you can really get out of the house. Maybe you might work a half a day. Maybe someone would drive you to work. Maybe you could work around the house. Walk a little further than just around the block. Walk with a little bit of speed. Use your arms. Get off a stop earlier on the train. Take the stairs at work. Take the stairs during your hospital visit. Take the dog for a walk. On your way back, pull a few weeds in the lawn.

If you’re in the hospital and you’re getting your chemotherapy in the hospital, work with the nursing staff on the floor. Measure how many laps it would take around the unit to equal a mile. We have many units over at the Brigham with signs of encouragement for lap walking.

MEGAN: So, patients often wonder if they will lose their hair during chemotherapy. Can you talk about this as well?

SULLIVAN: Sure. There are many other side effects that are specific to the drugs, and the one that I have not mentioned, as you have brought up, is hair loss. Many people associate hair loss with chemotherapy from movies or TV, but this is not as common anymore. When you enter the infusion clinic, you might be surprised to see that many patients have hair. This is not to say that some chemotherapy still causes hair loss, but it is not as common as people think.

MEGAN: So, chemotherapy can be used in a few different ways—curatively or palliative, for example. Can you talk about this?

SULLIVAN: Yes, Megan. What you’re referring to are the three goals of cancer treatment. There are actually three. You may see one of these terms on your initial chemotherapy consent, but most importantly, you may want to confirm with your cancer team what the strategy is for your treatment plan. Starting out on the same page with your team is very important. Remember, this can change as information about your cancer is understood over time by your team.

The three strategies to cancer treatment are cure, control, and palliation. Cure is when the cancer is completely removed, and the intent is that the cancer will not come back. Control would be the second strategy. That’s when disease cannot be fully removed from the body, but the team can keep it in check for long periods of time. Then the third strategy is what we call palliation. The disease here cannot be successfully removed and may not be controlled for long, but the team is confident that they can minimize any symptoms to help you feel more comfortable.

The word “palliation” can be confusing and even turn some people off from the medical specialty of palliative medicine. Palliative care is a specialized medical care for any cancer patient. It helps patients get relief from pain, symptoms, and the stress of having a serious illness. It can help improve their quality of life, no matter what treatment goal there is. Palliative care can help with fatigue, pain, nausea, shortness of breath, and a whole host of other symptoms that you may have during treatment, where the goal of palliative care is to help you feel more comfortable during your treatment, preserve your dignity, and better communicate with your family and caregivers.

Palliative care can be helpful through all stages of cancer care. Early on, it can help make the treatment more tolerable. Later, it can help you with daily life, can assist you in planning your care, and provide you with an additional layer of support. Think of it as a superhero. Think of it as the superheroes of cancer care.

Often, people mix up the word “palliative care” and “hospice care.” Palliative care is available to any patient with any stage of cancer at any age. Hospice care is for patients also receiving palliative care, but hospice care is typically only given during the final months of life.

MEGAN: Is there anything else you might like to convey to patients who are starting chemotherapy?

SULLIVAN: Sure. There are some tips here that I’d really like to share with you today. For those people who might be going to an infusion clinic or going even to a hospital, it’s OK to ask for a tour. Go and visit the infusion area, or even walk through the hospital ward, just to get familiar with the surroundings. Bring a friend and stay active.

If you don’t understand something that the doctor or nurse says, please ask them to repeat. It’s very important that you understand. Know who to call and when. Keep that information near you at all times, whether it be on your refrigerator, in your wallet, or type it right away in your phone contacts the minute that you get it. Make sure family members have it or close friends know where this information is kept.

12 thoughts on “Chemotherapy Myths and Misconceptions [Podcast]”

  1. It could have gone further into the mechanism of chemotherapy, and its effects on the cells in the body, and what the recovery phase is like in detail. The article could have stressed that it is important to have a healthy, strong, and vibrant body condition through clean living, exercise, and fresh nutritious food during your regular life. In a sense preventative conditioning prior to being diagnosed with cancer, and when submitting to treatment, it would help in facilitating survival and recovery from chemotherapy treatment.

    • What a shame that the talk failed to address how Chemo actually fights cancer cells in the body. I still haven’t received a straight answer for that question.

      • Hi Joseph,

        Thank you for reading. Chemotherapy drugs work in many different ways to kill cancer cells. Most attack the DNA within cancer cells, preventing them from dividing and causing them to self-destruct. Here is where you can find more information: https://www.dana-farber.org/chemotherapy/

        Wishing you the best,
        DFCI

    • In my experience the previous commenter is correct……eating a nutrient dense, plant based diet is essential to survival….i wish that the medical staff would become more knowledgeable in that area……

  2. Excellent information.
    Excellent delivery, pacing, voice level.
    Got a laugh out of some of the recommends – my worst chemotherapy was while living in a fishing village in Taiwan – the segment on tired was amusing – I had to take a rickety, old, public bus, filled with workers from other countries, wrapped in a face mask for germ protection, to work every day – 5 hours of public transport, including a train, every day to teach in a public, elementary school. I was the new person on the team. It was Christmas. I had to design and execute a Christmas (Holiday) program for grade three choosing Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer which was deemed too difficult by my Taiwanese assistant. We won the all school program contest. I can recall being so tired I thought I would melt into the pavement at the train station. It was agony. But I did it to keep my Taiwan health insurance. When this teaching contract was over I had the luxury of being on a six month grace visa to have my big surgery. After surgery I was the ONLY person to care for ME. I lived on the second floor of an all Chinese speaking building. I had to shop for me, cook for me, and clean for me. Fortunately, the market was close. My house was tiny. (Like Concord, Massachusetts’ Henry David Thoreau’s house.) I had chemo the whole time.
    Now, being a patient with the DANA, with an English speaking oncologist, I feel juxtaposed onto a different planet!
    Thank you for a tremendous learning resource!

  3. Was expecting more on myths or misconceptions (not sure what myths or misconceptions were debunked here) – But there are quite a lot out there on social media sites that could be addressed.

    Would also have been good to touch on goals of combined chemo immune therapy (how do they work together)

    Thank You.

    As a cancer patient, Dana Farber is one of my top sources for information. Thanks for all you do.

  4. Thank you for these explanations . I would like to know more about life term side effects of chemotherapy.

  5. I had prostate cancer surgery in June of ‘16. Although surgery was done locally I consulted with Dana Farmer post surgery to make sure that they were in agreement with the course of follow up treatment. Unfortunately because I waited so long to have biopsy my cancer had spread to the lymph nodes. Dana was in complete agreement that radiation was the next step and chemotherapy was to follow. I am in complete agreement that staying active during treatment is essential. I took the position that my treatments would have to get used to me and not vice versa. Thank God I was able to exercise during radiation and chemotherapy. Even if it was just walking up and down the street on treatment days it made a big difference, physically and mentally. I encourage patients to try and do whatever you can to stay active during treatment. I was fortunate to have a wife who was by my side through the whole thing and behind me when I needed a kick in the butt.

  6. You say push through the fatigue which is contradictory to my thinking. I have thought that fighting through the fatigue would exhaust you body making your immune system weaker??

  7. Thank you for your discussion, as my father has been going through diagnosis and treatment of cancer of unknown source. He has had radiation and immunotherapy which has caused no side effects and in fact , his energy and physical recovery from surgery has increased! I’m grateful for DF ‘s work on this!

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