Are chemo and radiation done at the same time?

External-beam radiation therapy delivers radiation from a machine outside the body. Each session is quick and painless, lasting about 15 minutes. Typically, patients have treatment sessions 5 times per week (Monday through Friday). This schedule continues for 3 to 9 weeks.

Be sure to let your doctor or nurse know if you have:

Increased shortness of breath with minimal exertion.

Uncontrolled pain.

Inability to control side effects from treatments (such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or loss of appetite).

Uncontrollable anxiety or nervousness.

Ongoing depression.

These cancers have spread too much to be removed by surgery. Chemotherapy is the main treatment for these cancers. It can sometimes shrink or slow the growth of these cancers for a time and might help people live longer, but it is not expected to cure the cancer. Gemcitabine is the drug used most often.

Surgery provides the best chance of a cure for lung cancer. But used with radiation therapy and surgery, it improves the rates of cure. “Chemo is the icing on the cake when it comes to NSCLC treatment,” says Azzoli. When chemotherapy is used in addition to surgery, it is called adjuvant therapy.

Chemotherapy treatment varies in length and frequency and depends on the individual treatment plan prescribed by your doctor. Some last as long as three or four hours, while others may only take a half-hour. Your doctor can provide an estimate of the time involved during your first consultation.

After lumpectomy. Radiation therapy is recommended to most people who have lumpectomy (lumpectomy plus radiation is sometimes called breast-preservation surgery). Radiation attempts to destroy any cancer cells that may have been left in the breast after the tumor was removed.

Chemoradiation is a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. It is also sometimes called chemoradiotherapy. Chemoradiation may be given: before surgery, to help shrink the cancer and reduce the risk of cancer coming back in or around the rectum.

Chemotherapy is most often given as an infusion into a vein (intravenously). The drugs can be given by inserting a tube with a needle into a vein in your arm or into a device in a vein in your chest. Chemotherapy pills. Some chemotherapy drugs can be taken in pill or capsule form.

A cycle is a period of chemotherapy treatment followed by a period of rest. For instance, you might receive chemotherapy every day for 1 week followed by 3 weeks with no chemotherapy. These 4 weeks make up one cycle. The rest period gives your body a chance to recover and build new healthy cells.

BTCP is known as a “flare” of pain, and can be severe. Chemotherapy or radiation induced pain – is most often a form of nerve pain. It can cause peripheral neuropathy (painful numbness of the extremities), or paresthesia (numbness and tingling of hands, feet or any extremity of the body).

Chemotherapy is typically given in cycles, which is a treatment followed by a period of rest. A cycle can last one or more days, but is usually one, two, three, or four weeks long. A course of chemotherapy is comprised of multiple cycles. Each course is different, but generally consists of four to six cycles.

Foods to avoid (especially for patients during and after chemo):

Hot, spicy foods (i.e. hot pepper, curry, Cajun spice mix).

High fiber foods (i.e. raw fruit and vegetables, coarse whole grains).

Fatty, greasy, or fried foods.

Rich desserts.

Nuts, seeds, or dried fruit.

Treatment can last for anywhere from 3 to 6 months. During that time, you would be considered to be immunocompromised — not as able to fight infection. After finishing chemotherapy treatment, it can take anywhere from about 21 to 28 days for your immune system to recover.

Chemotherapy is out of your system a number of hours after you’ve had it given but the side effects can take up to about six months. During follow up you will be monitored to make sure that you are recovering from the chemotherapy. It is the overall effect on you and the body that takes more time.

Late effects of chemotherapy include:

Fatigue.

Difficulty with focused thinking (sometimes called chemo brain).

Early menopause.

Heart problems.

Reduced lung capacity.

Kidney and urinary problems.

Nerve problems such as numbness and tingling.

Bone and joint problems.

Chemo brain is a common term used by cancer survivors to describe thinking and memory problems that can occur after cancer treatment. Chemo brain can also be called chemo fog, chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment or cognitive dysfunction.

Chemo brain can occur during or after chemotherapy treatment. Delirium may occur suddenly during treatment. Delirium usually happens after an identified cause, such as chemotherapy, and it is often reversible. Dementia due to cancer treatment comes on gradually over time and usually after treatment is completed.

However, a recent study in mice has shown that chemotherapy may cause cognitive impairment which lasts up to 3 months after treatment is stopped. If this model is applied to humans, it would equate to 10 years, suggesting that ‘chemo brain’ can indeed have long-lasting impact on the quality of life of cancer survivors.

Care must be given to allow the cancer patient to experience their disease in whatever manner is best for them. Cancer treatments can also cause depression and anxiety. A side effect of chemotherapy known as chemo brain can cause fatigue, depression, mental fog, and other forms of cognitive impairment.

Here are some tips for coping with chemobrain:

Make lists. Carry a pad with you and write down the things you need to do.

Use a planner or personal organizer.

Start a checklist of daily reminders.

Sleep.

Keep your mind active.

Avoid distractions.

Keep a memory planner.

Have conversations in quiet places.