Side Effects and Exercise

 

 KADCYLA, like other treatments for cancer, have certain side effects. 
My current side effect inventory:

✅tiredness
✅fatigue
⛔nausea
⛔liver problems
✅pain that affects the bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons
⛔bleeding
⛔low platelet count - pending next labs on August 8th
✅headache
✅weakness, numbness and pain in the hands and feet
✅joint pain
✅rash

 I'm fascinated by cancer-induced fatigue as it is real. I know I've written about this before, but this is a very interesting article if you want to geek out: https://www.cancernetwork.com/view/journal-cancer-related-fatigue-outcome-measures-in-integrative-oncology-evidence-for-practice-and-research-recommendations.

 Some snippets from this article: 

• The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines define cancer-related fatigue (CRF) as “a distressing, persistent, subjective sense of tiredness or exhaustion related to cancer or cancer treatment that is not proportional to recent activity and interferes with usual functioning.”
• Diagnosing CRF is challenging due to the condition’s multifactorial quality, which may be further complicated by how clinicians measure and assess CRF. Researchers recommend that diagnosis be informed by 4 criteria: 
• (1) Indicators of symptom presence should be persistent for 2 or more weeks; 
• (2) there should be evidence of distress or impairment; 
• (3) the distinction should be made that the condition is related to cancer or cancer treatment; and 
• (4) there is absence of any previous or existing psychiatric disorder.

Another article which found that "exercise and psychological interventions are effective for reducing CRF during and after cancer treatment, and they are significantly better than the available pharmaceutical options. Clinicians should prescribe exercise or psychological interventions as first-line treatments for CRF."

 There is an app for iPhone called Cancer Exercise. It could be a good resource for anyone who is not familiar with gradating exercise. Blending research with resilience, Cancer Exercise is spearheaded by Dr. Anna L. Schwartz, a celebrated oncology exercise researcher. Her life’s work has been centered around the powerful link between physical activity and cancer recovery.

 Time to get my exercise on.