Tests and Treatments
Weight gain or loss
- It can be another blow to self esteem and body image when going through so much.
Losing weight
Many people who have chemotherapy lose weight.
This is because the side effects of chemo including:
- loss of appetite
- diarrhoea
- feeling nauseous can put you off eating
The side effects of radiotherapy can also make you lose weight. It's most likely to happen if you have radiotherapy to your:
- Head
- Neck
- Chest
- Abdomen
- Pelvic area
This is mainly because having radiotherapy to any of these areas can make you feel too sick to eat.
But also, radiotherapy to your:
- Mouth and throat - can make it difficult to chew or swallow.
- Gut - can give you diarrhoea or can make it difficult for your body to take the nutrients it needs from what you do eat.
Gaining weight
- Chemotherapy can stop your body from using up all the nutrients you eat so you end up storing some energy as fat. It can also make your body hold onto water and can make you feel too tired to do very much exercise.
- Steroids give you a bigger appetite so you might want to eat all the time. They can also make your body retain water and store fat more easily.
Remember that these changes are temporary, and after treatment your body will return to normal.
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