Managing side effects

Your breasts may symbolise femininity, nursing a baby and sexual attractiveness. Having part of or the whole breast removed may affect how you feel about yourself, or your confidence.

Fatigue is when you feel very tired, weak, drained and worn out. Cancer-related fatigue is different from tiredness because it is more severe, not the result of recent physical or mental activity, and generally doesn’t get better with rest or sleep. It can be ongoing and affect what you can do.

If you lose your hair, you may experience a range of different emotions including anger, anxiety and sadness. For some people, hair is an important part of their identity, and losing the hair on their head or face (beard, moustache, brows and lashes) can be distressing. Other people may find the experience is not as bad as expected. Everyone is different – there is no right or wrong way to respond.

Cancer treatments can cause side effects that affect the mouth (oral) area. We hope this information will help you, your family and friends understand more about the mouth changes you may experience and how to care for your mouth before, during and after treatment.

It is important to speak with your treatment team if you experience skin changes. Not everyone being treated will have side effects. You may find it reassuring to talk to your doctor and nurses about your treatment and possible effects.

Some people with cancer have pain. This can be caused by the cancer, its treatment, or other underlying conditions unrelated to the cancer. We cannot give advice about the best pain relief for you. You need to discuss this with your health professionals. However, this information may answer some of your questions and help you think about what to ask your health care team.

Many people diagnosed with cancer notice changes in the way they think and remember information. This is known as cancer-related cognitive impairment, but people may also call it “cancer fog”, “chemo brain” or “brain fog”. However, people who have never had chemotherapy can also experience changes.

Advances in cancer diagnosis and treatment mean more people are living longer after cancer treatment. This is good news, but research shows that cancer survivors have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease in the months and years after cancer treatment.

Lymphoedema is swelling (oedema) that develops when lymph fluid builds up in the tissues under the skin or sometimes deeper in the abdomen (belly) and chest areas. This happens when the lymphatic system is not working properly. It usually occurs in an arm or leg, but can also affect other parts of the body, such as the neck.

Peripheral neuropathy is a nerve condition that can happen with cancer, or with cancer treatment.

Changes to the taste, smell or feeling of food are a common side effect for people before, during and after treatment for cancer. This can affect what foods you are able to eat and enjoy eating, and may contribute to a loss of appetite and weight loss. This may lead to malnutrition, which should be avoided as it can result in increased side effects from treatment and loss of muscle strength.

Look Good Feel Better is a free community service program dedicated to helping Australians cope with the appearance-related side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy such as hair loss and changes to the skin.