Project Pixie Dust

Chemotherapy is one of the most common methods of treating cancer. It is a very powerful treatment that kills fast growing cells in the body. However, it has no way of differentiating between good (healthy cells and bad (cancer causing) cells. It is difficult to admit but chemo is sort of like a poison.

There is a reason children see so many side effects when being treated with chemo. Their cells are constantly multiplying as they grow so a lot of their healthy cells are being effected.

Deficits as a result of chemotherapy can be present in the survivor's life forever; it has the ability to permanently alter their quality of life in a negative way. This is quite unfortunate considering what a childhood cancer survivor has already been through.

Photo taken from Children's Hospital at Richmond VCU

Today we will be discussing 5 side effects specifically. There are plenty more side effects but these are the 5 that stood out to me and I wanted to share.

Osteoporosis
Altered Food Intake
Psychological Impacts
Gut Microbial Dysbiosis
Hearing Loss

Osteoporosis:

Osteoporosis is a bone disease where the bone where the body loses bone and does not regenerate it. This can cause very brittle bones and cause them to break easily. This can effect a child's life after cancer because they may find it difficult to be part of sports team or any rigorous physical activities that could result in them getting hurt.

Altered Food Intake

Chemotherapy can cause nausea through the stimulation of the chemoreceptor trigger zone in the brain. This stimulation causes the release of serotonin and other neurotransmitters, leading to nausea and vomiting. It can also lead to changes in energy requirements, which can also lead to decreased appetite. Without food, energy levels decrease even more leading to weakness. This all can result in extreme weightloss.

Psychological Impacts

Chemotherapy has a significant impact on the psychological status of both patients and their parents. Studies have found that patients had low self-esteem, and that parents experienced high levels of psychological stress. Many parents and children admitted to suffering from PTSD throughout their lifetime. Childhood cancer survivors were also more likely to suffer from substance abuse issues as adults.

Gut Microbial Dysbiosis

Gut microbial dysbiosis is an imbalance in the microbiome of the gastrointestinal tract, which can be caused by a variety of factors, including antibiotics, chemotherapy, and diet.This imbalance can lead to a variety of health issues, such as gastrointestinal complications, disruption of the gut-brain axis, and immune system dysfunction.

Chemotherapy can lead to gut microbial dysbiosis by disrupting the balance of the microbiota in the gastrointestinal tract.This can be caused by the specific chemotherapy drugs used, as well as the use of antibiotics for prophylaxis during chemotherapy.

This means that the natural flora and fauna that live in your gut are being imbalanced, which can cause digestive issues, stomach pain, and constipation.

Hearing Loss

Chemotherapy drugs, such as cisplatin, have been linked to ototoxicity, which can lead to hearing loss. This type of hearing loss is often bilateral, but unilateral hearing loss has also been observed.

Studies have shown that hearing loss caused by chemotherapy tends to be progressive and may worsen over time.The severity of the hearing loss depends on the type of chemotherapy drug and the amount of exposure.

Studies have shown that hearing loss caused by chemotherapy can range from mild to severe and can even lead to profound deafness. In some cases, the hearing loss can be temporary and reversible; however, in other cases it can be permanent

Why should this matter?

It took me too long to realize that it is important the general public learn these facts. The more people that understand the possible deficits associated with chemotherapy, the more people will fight for more research funding for less invasive treatments for children.