What are the symptoms of pancreatic cancer during chemotherapy?

In addition to chemotherapy, radiotherapy is currently the most effective treatment for cancer. However, both radiotherapy and chemotherapy have certain side effects. After understanding these side effects, you can try to avoid and control them during treatment, relieve the discomfort caused by chemotherapy, and improve the effect of chemotherapy. So what are the symptoms of pancreatic cancer during chemotherapy?

1. Decreased immune function: Chemotherapy drugs can damage the patient's immune system, leading to immune deficiency or decline. Immune function indicators such as E-roset test, CH50, C3 complement, T cell subsets, NK cell activity, interleukin II, etc., can all decrease to varying degrees after chemotherapy compared to before chemotherapy. Most anti-tumor chemotherapy drugs have immunosuppressive effects.

2. Physical weakness: patients may experience general fatigue

3. Bone marrow suppression: Most chemotherapy drugs can cause bone marrow suppression, which is manifested as a decrease in white blood cells and platelets, and even a decrease in red blood cells and hemoglobin.

4. Digestive disorders: decreased appetite, reduced food intake, nausea, vomiting, abdominal distension, abdominal pain, diarrhea or constipation, etc. Many chemotherapy drugs cause the above symptoms by irritating the gastrointestinal mucosa.

5. Inflammatory reaction: fever, dizziness, headache, dry mouth, mouth ulcers, etc.

6. Cardiotoxicity: Some chemotherapy drugs can cause cardiotoxicity and damage myocardial cells. Patients may experience symptoms such as palpitations, chest tightness, precordial discomfort, shortness of breath, and even heart failure. Electrocardiogram examinations may show T wave changes or ST segment changes.

7. Kidney toxicity: Large doses of some chemotherapy drugs can cause kidney damage and result in low back pain, discomfort in the kidney area, etc.

8. Pulmonary fibrosis: Cyclophosphamide, vincristine, bleomycin, etc. can cause pulmonary fibrosis. Chest X-rays show thickening or cord-like changes in lung texture. This is more dangerous for patients with poor lung function in the past, and can even be life-threatening.

9. Cystitis: Ifosfamide, cantharidin, camptothecin, etc. can cause patients to experience a series of drug-induced cystitis symptoms such as lower abdominal discomfort or bloating, hematuria, etc.

10. Nervous system toxicity: mainly refers to the damage of chemotherapy drugs to peripheral nerve endings. Patients may experience numbness and dysesthesia of the extremities. For example, vincristine, vinblastine, vinblastine, and novoben may cause neurotoxic side effects to varying degrees.

11. Phlebitis: Most chemotherapy drugs are administered by intravenous drip, which can cause varying degrees of phlebitis. The diseased blood vessels turn dark red or dark yellow, causing local pain and appearing like cords when touched. In severe cases, thrombotic phlebitis may occur, resulting in blood flow obstruction.

Recommended reading: How to treat pancreatic cancer metastasis? What is the treatment of well-differentiated pancreatic adenocarcinoma?

12. Liver toxicity: Almost all chemotherapy drugs can cause liver damage. In mild cases, liver function abnormalities may occur, and patients may experience discomfort in the liver area. In severe cases, toxic hepatitis may occur.