What causes anemia in cancer patients? How can we fix it? Nothing is more frustrating than being told that we can’t have chemo or learn that our surgery has been postponed we are anemia.

What is anemia? 

Anemia is a common blood disorder. It occurs when we don’t have enough healthy red blood cells. Red blood cells are produced in our bone marrow, and they transport hemoglobin. The hemoglobin picks up oxygen in the lungs and delivers it throughout our body.

If our iron levels fall or if...

Dry mouth can be caused by a variety of conditions, including prescription drugs, chemotherapy and radiation, and other disorders and syndromes. These conditions can inhibit the production of saliva and result in a sticky or even burning sensation in the mouth. Dry mouth is more than a nuisance to those who experience it because they often struggle with day to day activities like speaking, eating, and even sleeping. 

Long-term consequences of dry mouth include the decay of teeth due to...

Welcome summer…we’ve missed you. The official first day of summer is June 21, but hot temperatures are already here for most of us. Hot weather brings some different issues to the forefront for us as cancer patients – how hot weather and strong sunlight affect us as cancer patients and survivors.

Sun Exposure

Fluorouracil, commonly known as 5FU, may cause your skin to be more sensitive to the sun. 5FU is a common chemotherapy drug used to treat breast, colorectal, esophageal, pancreatic, ...

Hair loss is one of the most common side effects of chemotherapy, stem cell transplant and targeted therapy or locally from radiation therapy. Looking back at my first oncology appointment, I remember my husband asking her, “Is my wife going to lose her hair?” He was asking because he knew losing my hair would probably be distressing to me. 

Hair Loss from Chemotherapy May Become a Rare Side Effect for Certain Cancer Patients

The Food and Drug Administration recently approved the use of...

Loss of appetite (due to nausea, fatigue, mouth sores, difficulty in swallowing or taste changes) leads to unintentional weight loss during chemo. Unless your oncology team has recommended that you lose weight, it’s best to maintain your weight and muscle mass during treatment.

Be sure to tell your oncologist about these symptoms and their impact on your appetite.

• Nausea/vomiting . Your oncologist team wants to help you avoid nausea, but they can’t help you if you don’t tell them....

If you were like me, you’ve never heard of neutropenia (pronounced noo-troe-PEE-nee-uh). When I went in for my fourth chemotherapy infusion, my oncologist came in after receiving my lab results. She was always upbeat and had a smile on her face. She said, “No chemo for you today!”

When undergoing radiation and chemotherapy to treat cancer, you want as much as possible to feel like yourself. That can be practically impossible when you feel like garbage, losing your hair, and might be puffy from treatment medications.

There are still ways to hold on to “you” when cancer is a part of your life. Try and do a few things that will make you feel more like yourself. You aren’t your diagnosis. Here are 5 tips to help you feel more like yourself and hold onto feeling a little...

Our Blog Post today is from Robyn Stoller, the founder of CancerHawk and also was a caregiver for her Husband Alan who had been diagnosed with kidney cancer, followed by pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive cancer. Robyn is a tireless advocate for cancer patients everywhere. Her article today touches on the issues with fertility when dealing with cancer and treatments. 

Chemotherapy and radiation can harm your fertility or cause sterility. For women, certain...

Radiation is a standard part of treatment for a large group of cancer types. Sometimes combined with chemotherapy, sometimes used on its own, and even sometimes with a mixture of other traditional treatments, surgery, and drugs. There are several hidden side effects that you may or may not be told to expect. Some of them show up quickly, but many wait years to show up. Some can be life threatening. 

You will find many people that say radiation was much easier to take than chemotherapy...

Cancer can throw your entire life into disarray. Constant visits to the hospital or doctor’s office can dominate your schedule. Fatigue can sap your energy and leave you unable to enjoy the activities you once did. You and your family may experience stress and anxiety due to uncertainty about your prognosis. This article will help you find the right wig when cancer takes your hair.

Even your outward appearance can be changed by a cancer diagnosis, especially if you’re one of the...