Health Library

The Health Library is a collection of health and wellness resources created for learning and accessibility. Select a topic below for related health information or search for a topic in the search bar for more information on other medical conditions.

Cancer Complications

  • Learn what you can do to help with throat pain and eating challenges caused by cancer treatment.

  • Oral complications are common in cancer patients, especially those with head and neck cancer. Complications are new medical problems that occur during or after a disease, procedure, or treatment and that make recovery harder. The complications may be side effects of the disease or treatment, or they may have other...

  • The side effects of chemotherapy, sometimes called chemo, depend mainly on the medicines you receive. As with other types of treatment, side effects vary from person to person. In general, chemotherapy affects rapidly growing and dividing cells. These include: Blood cells. Blood cells fight infection, cause the blood...

  • Cancer, cancer treatment, or diagnostic tests may cause you pain. Pain is one of the most common symptoms in cancer patients. Pain can be caused by cancer, cancer treatment, or a combination of factors. Tumors, surgery, intravenous chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, supportive care therapies such as...

  • Discusses cancer pain management. Discusses causes such as tumor pressing on bones or nerves. Covers types of cancer pain. Discusses treatments with medicines, surgery, or radiation.

  • Discusses use of radiation therapy to kill cancer cells or control cancer pain. Covers brachytherapy and external beam radiation therapy, two ways radiation is delivered. Discusses risks and side effects.

  • Discusses how cancer pain can almost always be relieved if you work with your doctor to create a treatment plan that is right for you. Covers using a pain control diary and medication record. Includes managing side effects and complementary medicine.

  • Heat and cold treatments can help with mild to moderate pain from cancer. But talk to your doctor before trying either of these during chemotherapy or radiation treatments. Heat may relieve sore muscles. Use a heating pad, a gel pack, or a hot-water bottle. Or you can take a hot bath or shower. Apply heat for no longer...

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