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Ovarian cancer treatment can affect much more than the time you spend at appointments. Side effects can change your energy, appetite, comfort, clothing choices, and ability to manage everyday tasks. All of this can affect your quality of life.
Members of MyOvarianCancerTeam have described a wide range of experiences with chemotherapy and maintenance treatments. Some people have difficult or persistent side effects. Others find treatment relatively manageable.
Here are six ways ovarian cancer treatment side effects have affected members’ everyday lives, along with tips that may help.
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Fatigue is more than ordinary tiredness. Cancer-related fatigue can interfere with daily activities and may not fully improve with sleep or rest.
For some people, ongoing fatigue can be emotional as well as physical. One MyOvarianCancerTeam member shared, “I am yet to find something that helps with the fatigue. Every time I mention it to my oncologist, I get the feeling he wants to say ‘Get over it! You’re alive and currently NED.’ Or maybe that’s what I think I should be saying to myself.”
NED stands for “no evidence of disease,” meaning tests don’t detect cancer. A person who has no evidence of disease may still be receiving maintenance treatment to help keep the cancer from coming back.
For others, fatigue remains but becomes easier to live with over time. “Especially after a few months of taking it, I started feeling more like myself again. Fatigue is still with me, but I am used to it now, at least a little.”
If fatigue is interfering with daily activities, tell your oncologist or another member of your cancer care team. They can check for possible causes, such as anemia, infection, pain, sleep problems, dehydration, or treatment effects, and discuss ways to manage your fatigue. Don’t assume you need to push through severe or worsening fatigue on your own.
Neuropathy (nerve damage) can involve symptoms such as numbness, tingling, pain, weakness, or changes in the ability to feel heat and cold.
Peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage outside the brain and spinal cord) can also affect balance and tasks such as buttoning clothing or opening jars, according to the National Cancer Institute.
One MyOvarianCancerTeam member explained just how many tasks had become harder: “I’m just 10 weeks post chemo and things have started to settle down. My hands don’t work well. I have great difficulty turning lamps on, preparing food, using a knife, starting my car, and many more things.”
Tell your cancer care team about new or worsening numbness, tingling, pain, weakness, balance changes, or problems using your hands and feet. A healthcare professional can assess the symptoms, discuss ways to keep you safe, and determine whether your treatment plan needs to change. Don’t change a dose, schedule, or medicine on your own.
Skin changes can be more than a cosmetic concern. Some treatments can cause hand-foot syndrome, a skin reaction that may involve pain, swelling, discoloration, peeling, or sensitivity on the hands and feet.
One member described developing hand-foot syndrome while receiving chemotherapy: “Got to where I could barely walk, and it discolored my feet. Hands swelled, too.”
After switching to a different chemotherapy drug, they said, “The discoloration came back, but I can walk OK.”
Another MyOvarianCancerTeam member described severe skin sensitivity while receiving chemotherapy: “My main problem was skin sensitivity. ANY rubbing was painful. At the end, I wore sundresses instead of slacks and went commando.”
Let your oncology team know about new rashes, swelling, pain, peeling, skin sensitivity, or changes affecting your hands and feet. They can assess the symptoms and help you understand which skin care steps are appropriate for your treatment.
Ask your care team before making major changes to your skin care routine or using products that could irritate broken or sensitive skin.
Nausea, stomach pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and appetite changes can make eating and getting through the day more difficult. Severe symptoms can affect hydration and nutrition, according to the National Cancer Institute.
One MyOvarianCancerTeam member described stomach pain and loss of appetite after taking a targeted therapy. They described how the symptoms compared with those they experienced after chemotherapy: “It makes me feel sick to my stomach during lunch, and I have no appetite to eat because my stomach is hurting a lot. I hope the symptoms get better 😔.”
Another member who’d just started chemo shared, “I’ve only had one dose so far, so I’m no authority. Nausea, bloating, and constipation were the worst problems I had.”
Tell your healthcare team if nausea, pain, constipation, diarrhea, or appetite changes make it difficult to eat, drink, take medicines, or manage normal activities. They can discuss symptom management options for your situation.
Before starting an over-the-counter medicine, taking a supplement, or making major changes to your diet, ask your care team or an oncology dietitian whether it’s safe for you.
Some cancer treatments can lower blood cell counts. Anemia, a condition in which the body doesn’t have enough red blood cells (RBCs),
can cause fatigue, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, dizziness, headaches, or a fast heartbeat, according to the National Cancer Institute. Low platelet counts can also make bruising or bleeding more likely.
One MyOvarianCancerTeam member described adjusting their activities: “My low RBC contributes to lack of oxygen, which has an effect on me doing vacuuming and going up and down stairs. I do golf, but I ride instead of walking.”
Blood count problems sometimes led to changes in treatment plans. One member described needing dose adjustments while taking a targeted therapy: “It affected my blood counts and took a few adjustments to get the correct dosage for me. It made me tired, but other than that, I had good results.”
Your oncology team can explain what your blood test results mean for your treatment and overall health. Tell them if you notice significant fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness, unusual bruising, bleeding, or changes in how you feel during daily activities.
Treatment decisions, including any change in dose, should be made with your healthcare professionals rather than based on another person’s experience.
Don’t take iron, vitamins, or other supplements to treat fatigue unless your healthcare team recommends them.
Some chemotherapy, targeted therapies, and immunotherapies given through an intravenous (IV) infusion can cause reactions during or after treatment. Symptoms can include itching, flushing, rash or hives, fever or chills, nausea, dizziness, chest discomfort, shortness of breath, or a fast heartbeat. In some cases, people may have more severe reactions.
One MyOvarianCancerTeam member described having an anaphylactic (severe allergic) reaction to their first dose of chemotherapy. “I was sent to an allergist, and now I am premedicated, and the [chemotherapy drug] is introduced in small increments before the full dose. It takes a full day … but it has worked well.”
Experiences like this show how closely treatment needs to be individualized. A reaction one person experienced doesn’t predict what will happen to someone else.
Infusion reactions require assessment and management by healthcare professionals. If you’ve had a previous reaction or are worried about an upcoming infusion, discuss it with your oncology team before treatment begins. Tell your care team right away if you develop symptoms during an infusion. Ask what to do if symptoms appear after you go home.
Don’t take medications before an infusion, change your infusion schedule, or follow someone else’s treatment plan unless your healthcare team tells you to do so.
If you develop trouble breathing, chest discomfort, fainting, or swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat during or after an infusion, seek urgent medical help.
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