Antitumor Treatment Side Effects

Nutritional deficiencies due to surgery depends on tumor location, extent resection of the gastrointestinal tract and the presence or absence vagotomi action. Operations on the part gastrointestinal tract such as the tongue, mandible, pharynx, esophagus, stomach may decrease ability of swallowing and digestion of food. Extensive small intestine resection causes nutrient absorption disorders, fluids and electrolytes, pancreatic resection can lead to malabsorption of fats and proteins. 

Chemotherapy can cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, mukositis, ileus diarrhea and malabsorption. Some preparations antineopalstik which often causes gastrointestinal symptoms (40%), among others, cisplatin, doxorubicin, fluorouracil. The use of opioid analgesic drugs can cause nausea, constipation and gas distension in the small intestine and large intestine, causing malabsorption (Narcotic bowel syndrome), use of diuretics cause a decrease zinc levels resulting in decreased sense of taste.

Radiotherapy can provide acute and delayed reactions reaction (complications chronic). Acute reactions can occur within 3 days to 1 week of therapy, can be difficulty swallowing due to edema and mukositis oropharynx that causes dysphagia and odinofagia, decreased saliva production with consequent decrease in the enzyme (head neck radiation), nausea vomiting, enteritis or diarrhea (radiation abdominal region). Late complications of persistent mucosal inflammation, intestinal fibrosis and stricture.

Other circumstances that accompany cancer patients such as infection, Diabetes mellitus, rheumatic diseases and others.

 

Autonomic Failure

Clinical manifestations of the syndrome include cardiovascular (postural hypotension, syncope and fixed heart rate) and gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea, anorexia, constipation and sometimes diarrhea). Occurs in approximately 52% of cancer patients particularly advanced stage.