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If your levels are low, your health care team may stop the chemotherapy for a while or reduce the dose of the drug. 19 Other possible side effects include hearing loss, joint pain, and tingling or numbness in your hands and feet. When radiation therapy and chemotherapy are given at the same time, the side effects may be worse. Your health care team can suggest ways to control many of these problems. Most go away when treatment ends. The NCI booklet Chemotherapy and You has helpful ideas for coping with chemotherapy side effects. Targeted Therapy People with non-small cell lung cancer that has spread may receive a type of treatment called targeted therapy. Several kinds of targeted therapy are used for non-small cell lung cancer. One kind is used only if a lab test on the cancer tissue shows a certain gene change. Targeted therapies can block the growth and spread of lung cancer cells. Depending on the kind of drug used, targeted therapies for lung cancer are given intravenously or by mouth. The drug enters the bloodstream and can affect cancer cells all over the body. During treatment, your health care team will watch you for side effects. You may get a skin rash, diarrhea, or mouth sores, or you may feel very tired. Other possible side effects include shortness of breath, belly pain, high blood pressure, vomiting, and swollen feet and hands. The side effects usually go away after treatment ends. You may want to read the NCI fact sheet Targeted Cancer Therapies. 20 Questions you may want to ask your doctor about chemotherapy or targeted therapy ■ Which drug or drugs do you suggest for me? What will they do? ■ What are the possible side effects? What can we do about them? ■ When will treatment start? When will it end? How often will I have treatments? ■ How will we know the treatment is working? ■ Will there be lasting side effects? 21 Nutrition Eating well is important before, during, and after cancer treatment. You need the right amount of calories to maintain a good weight. You also need enough protein to keep up your strength. Eating well may help you feel better and have more energy. Sometimes, especially during or soon after treatment, you may not feel like eating. You may be uncomfortable or tired. You may find that foods don’t taste as good as they used to. In addition, poor appetite, nausea, vomiting, mouth blisters, and other side effects of treatment can make it hard for you to eat. Your doctor, a registered dietitian, or another health care provider can suggest ways to help you meet your nutrition needs. Also, the NCI booklet Eating Hints has many useful recipes and lists of foods that can help with side effects.
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