Can diabetes be a side effect of chemotherapy?

Can diabetes be a side effect of chemotherapy?

If you have diabetes, when you have chemotherapy treatment, there is a risk that your blood sugar level may get too high or too low. This is because of the side effects of chemotherapy, such as sickness, diarrhoea and loss of appetite.

Can you get diabetes after cancer treatment?

Results of a 2018 JAMA Oncology study showed that cancer survivors are more likely to develop diabetes within two years of completing cancer treatments, although the risk remains elevated throughout a survivor’s lifetime.

Can you get diabetes from cancer?

Cancer treatments raise the risk of diabetes A 2018 study published in JAMA Oncology suggests the incidence of diabetes is six times greater among cancer patients than in people who don’t have cancer.

Can cancer cause your blood sugar to rise?

It is not uncommon for someone with cancer to have elevated blood sugar (glucose) levels. Your doctor may have even told you that you have diabetes.

What side effects does chemotherapy have?

What are common side effects of chemo?

• Fatigue.
• Hair loss.
• Easy bruising and bleeding.
• Infection.
• Anemia (low red blood cell counts)
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Appetite changes.
• Constipation.

Does Chemo make you crave sugar?

Chemotherapy can cause certain appetite-related side effects, for example – increased appetite, nausea or cravings for sweets and carbohydrates. Although patients don’t have to cut sugar out of their diet completely, there are many healthy alternatives to help control the cravings.

Can chemo cause diabetes 2?

Although cancer treatments don’t typically cause diabetes, high blood sugar must be aggressively managed during treatment. Radiation therapy, steroids and certain chemotherapy drugs can cause blood sugar levels to rise.

What cancers cause high blood sugar?

But when researchers looked at specific types of cancer, they found that both men and women with the highest blood sugar levels were more likely to have pancreatic cancer, urinary tract cancer, and malignant melanoma (the most deadly type of skin cancer) than those with the lowest blood sugar levels.

What is the life expectancy after chemotherapy?

During the 3 decades, the proportion of survivors treated with chemotherapy alone increased (from 18% in 1970-1979 to 54% in 1990-1999), and the life expectancy gap in this chemotherapy-alone group decreased from 11.0 years (95% UI, 9.0-13.1 years) to 6.0 years (95% UI, 4.5-7.6 years).

What are the worst side effects of chemotherapy?

• Infection and a weakened immune system. Cancer and the treatment of it can weaken the immune system.
• Bruising and bleeding more easily. Chemotherapy can cause a person to bruise or bleed more easily.
• Hair loss.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Neuropathy.
• Constipation and diarrhea.
• Rash.
• Mouth sores.

How many rounds of chemo can a person have?

During a course of treatment, you usually have around 4 to 8 cycles of treatment. A cycle is the time between one round of treatment until the start of the next. After each round of treatment you have a break, to allow your body to recover.

How can chemotherapy affect your diabetes?

The nausea that is often associated with chemotherapy can affect the appetite of a diabetic, leading to changes in blood sugar levels. Chemotherapy is sometimes given in combination with steroids that can affect glucose levels in the blood.

Does chemo raise glucose?

Chemotherapy is a common treatment for cancer patients, but its side effects can make it more difficult to keep blood sugar levels in check. “Steroids are often given with chemotherapy to lessen nausea,” Dr. Farooki says, “but we know that steroids can raise glucose levels pretty markedly.

Does chemo really help?

What needs to be understood is that chemotherapy is very good for some things. For instance, it’s very good for treating and curing leukemias and lymphomas. For certain cancers, such as breast and colorectal cancer, it’s very good at decreasing the chance of relapse after curative surgery.

What are the concerns with diabetes and chemotherapy?

If you have diabetes, your blood sugar may need closer monitoring while you are having treatment. Chemotherapy can make you feel sick or be sick. You might not want to eat and this can be a problem. If you can’t eat, your blood sugar could drop too low causing: faintness.