Therapy Can Trigger Anemia and Fatigue.

• Position: Brief Article

According to researchers at the World Summit Against Cancer, sponsored by Ortho Biotech and Bristol-Myers Squibb, the aim of chemotherapy and radiation therapy in cancer is to kill cancer cells. However, the drugs used for this are often so powerful that they temporarily interfere with the body's production of other cells, including the red blood ones that carry oxygen. Cancer itself can also interfere with red blood cell production.

Red blood cells normally survive for a few months in the bloodstream and are then replaced by new cells formed in the bone marrow. If the production of new cells slows down as a possible effect of cancer treatment or cancer itself, the number released into the blood stream falls. If there are too few red cells in circulation to carry enough oxygen for the body's needs, the patient is said to suffer from anemia. While anemia in cancer is seldom life-threatening, it can result in cancer fatigue, an overwhelming and debilitating form of fatigue that fails to improve with rest and can interfere with every aspect of their lives.

Fatigue is the most frequently reported symptom of anemia and affects as many as 89% of those with cancer. Other common symptoms include dizziness, loss of appetite, shortness of breath, poor concentration, and cardiovascular problems such as chest pain and increased heart rate.

Anemia and fatigue can affect the quality of patients' lives in a number of ways...