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Colorectal Cancer: Post Treatment 0 - 6 Months: Medical Care Stages II,III,IV

What To Expect And What To Do After Chemotherapy

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You probably feel worse at the end of treatment than you did when you were first diagnosed.

You have either gained or lost weight. 

It is likely to take longer than expected to return to feeling normal - and much longer than you wish. However, most side effects resulting from chemotherapy do not do any lasting harm and will gradually go away after you finish treatment.

Follow Up Exams and Tests

Your follow-up plan will tell you when follow-up appointments will be scheduled. To learn about what to expect at follow-up visits, click here. (Link to the new section above: Follow up visits and tests for colon and rectal cancer)

The first tests and imaging studies such as a CT scan, an MRI test or a PET scan. respectively. Tests and imaging studies will be performed 1-3 months after treatment ends depending on your particular situation.

Side Effects

Following is a list of symptoms in alphabetical order that may continue or appear within the first six months after the end of chemotherapy treatment:

  • Aches and pains such as muscle stiffness and joint pain are not unusual. They decline over time.
  • Allergies: If you had food allergies, they may become better or worse 
  • Blood counts: Red and white blood cell counts may remain low or below normal for months. (As long as your cell counts are low, take extra precautions to avoid infections. Learn how by clicking here.) 
  • Bowel cramping recede or diminish for most people. For some it persists for a long period of time. For some people, it is permanent.
  • “Chemo brain” (a general fuzziness in thinking and recall) may begin during treatment and persist after treatment has ended or it may occur after treatment ends. Chemo brain will likely go away, although for some people it is permanent. For information about how to reduce the effect of chemo brain, click here..
  • Diarrhea: Persistent diarrhea after chemotherapy is common. If you had the entire colon removed, there is no cure for diarrhea but changes in diet may lessen the frequency or looseness of your stool. Click here to learn how to cope with diarrhea
  • Fatigue is likely to continue for at least as long as the time between diagnosis and end of treatment. It may continue for years. There are tips for coping with fatigue, click here. If fatigue becomes overwhelming, speak with your doctor or an oncology nurse knowledgeable about cancer fatigue.
    • Fertility: may improve over months or years following treatment, or it may never recover.
    • Neuropathy (pain, burning, weakness or numbness in the hands or feet) may continue for weeks or months. If you had platinum based therapy (for example oxaliplatin), neuropathy may continue for years.
    • Hair: When hair regrows, it may look different. The color or texture may be changed. It may be thicker or thinner, curlier or straighter than before treatment. Eventually it is likely to return to normal.

If you received Fluorouracil (5-FU):, Watch for:

  • Symptoms of heart disease. Signs of heart difficulty show up differently in men and women. Watch for chest pain or tightness, swollen arms or legs, numbness in your hands or arms, difficulty breathing, dizziness or unusual heart rhythms.
  • Numbness, tingling or pain in the hands or feet which may continue for months following end of treatment. The only current treatment for this symptom is pain medication. To learn about pain control, click here

If you received platinum based drugs such as oxaliplatin, watch for :

  • Numbness, tingling or pain in the hands or feet which may continue for months following end of treatment. The only current treatment for this symptom is pain medication. To learn about pain control, click here. 

If you received treatment for infections with aminoglycoside, antibiotics gentamycin, tobramycin, amikacin , or with vancomycin: there can be temporary or permanent hearing loss, vertigo, dizziness or ringing in the ears. These symptoms are treatable. Let your doctor know if you experience any of them.


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