CommunitiesOral CancerWhy don't cancer doctors tell you all the side effects before chemo starts?

Why don't cancer doctors tell you all the side effects before chemo starts?

DE

Community Member

11 hours ago

My rant / Bitching for this month. Back on chemotherapy and feeling like crap not from the cancer but the treatment. My gripe with oncology is every day is like a jack in the box, you don’t know what is jumping out at you until it does and nothing close to being fun. So the first time I had chemotherapy I also was being microwaved radiation never told me all the crap I could expect until I was done by then I had already been kicked in the jewels by everything that was a possible side effect and never told about all the crap was or could be coming for a year and it was almost 2 years of changes but not told until it was happening. Oncology is the same I asked what to expect and was told I may loose hair, feel weak, have nausea, first run of chemo felt like shit and at the same time was so out of it. I had no idea where I was who I was I’d couldn’t give a crap. If not for my wife I would be dead as I was ready to drive 3 hrs a day to get treatment and there was no way I should be driving at all. Now the new round of chemo all kinds of stuff and if I question what I should do I’m told probability is caused by chemo. So my question is if they know all this stuff why is it not just printed in a big ass book titled CANCER why it sucks and what to expect. It’s not like I / we didn’t ask what to expect. Any patient should be told before it starts.

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CA

Community Member

6 hours ago

Many cancer patients share this frustration about not receiving complete information upfront about potential side effects from chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Healthcare teams often focus on the most common side effects initially to avoid overwhelming patients, though this approach can leave people feeling unprepared when additional symptoms arise. Consider bringing up these concerns with the care team and asking for comprehensive written materials about all possible effects - many cancer centers have detailed resources available, and advocating for complete transparency can help ensure better preparation for future treatments.

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