Title: Immunotherapy: Adverse Events
IMMUNOTHERAPY CAN CAUSE YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM TO OVERACT WHICH CAN LEAD TO INFLAMMATION OF NORMAL TISSUES OR ORGANS. THIS INFLAMMATION IS REFERRED TO AS IMMUNE-RELATED ADVERSE EVENTS. THEY MOST COMMONLY AFFECT THE SKIN, COLON, LUNGS, LIVER, AND ENDOCRINE ORGANS. MOST OF THE SIDE EFFECTS ARE MILD TO MODERATE AND REVERSIBLE IF DETECTED EARLY AND MANAGED APPROPRIATELY.
ADVERSE EVENTS TYPICALLY APPEAR WITHIN A FEW WEEKS OR MONTHS OF STARTING TREATMENT, BUT THEY CAN OCCUR AT ANY TIME DURING TREATMENT. AS EARLY AS DAY 1 OF INFUSION BUT SOMETIMES AS LONG AS 1 YEAR AFTER TREATMENT HAS FINISHED.
Title: Skin Inflammation
IMMUNOTHERAPY MAY CAUSE INFLAMMATION OF YOUR SKIN OR DERMATITIS. YOUR SKIN MAY TURN RED, HAVE A RASH, AND MAY ITCH. YOU WANT TO AVOID SCRATCHING THE SKIN AND AVOID IRRITANTS SUCH AS HOT WATER OR HARSH SOAP. IF WORSENING, YOUR CANCER DOCTOR MY PRESCRIBE A STEROID, NUMBING MEDICATION, AN ANTIHISTAMINE, OR ANTIBIOTICS. CALL YOUR DOCTOR IF THE SYMPTOMS ARE NOT MANAGED AND IF PEELING, BLISTERS, OR SORES APPEAR.
Title: Gastrointestinal Inflammation
WHILE ON IMMUNOTHERAPY, YOU MAY DEVELOP AN INFLAMMATION OF YOUR GI SYSTEM. THIS CAN PRESENT AS DIARRHEA OR STOMACH CRAMPS. STAY WELL HYDRATED DURING THIS TIME AND CONTACT YOUR PROVIDER IF YOU HAVE INCREASED STOOLS OR STOOLS THAT ARE WATERY OR NON-FORMED.
GI IRRITATION MAY PROGRESS TO PAIN IN THE STOMACH, NAUSEA, OR LOSS OF APPETITE. IF THESE SYMPTOMS OCCUR, COMMUNICATE THEM WITH YOUR CANCER DOCTOR ESPECIALLY IF YOU DEVELOP SEVERE ABDOMINAL WITH A FEVER AS THIS MAY INDICATE A SERIOUS ADVERSE EVENT. IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO CONTACT YOUR DOCTOR, GO TO THE GULF COAST MEDICAL CENTER EMERGENCY ROOM.
Title: Lung Inflammation
THE LUNG LINING CAN BECOME IRRITATED FROM IMMUNOTHERAPY PRESENTING AS A NEW OR WORSENING COUGH, OR SHORTNESS OF BREATH. REPORT THESE CHANGES TO YOUR DOCTOR. IF YOU DEVELOP CHEST PAIN, CONTACT YOUR DOCTOR AND CALL 911.
Title: Liver Inflammation
IMMUNOTHERAPY CAN CAUSE FLU-LIKE SYMPTOMS TO OCCUR. THIS INCLUDES FEVER, CHILLS, MUSCLE OR JOINT ACHES, HEADACHES, DROWSINESS, FATIGUE, SWEATING, NAUSEA, VOMITING, AND LOSS OF APPETITE. IF YOU EXPERIENCE THIS, DRINK PLENTY OF WATER TO PREVENT DEHYDRATION AND NOTIFY YOUR PHYSICIAN.
YOUR LIVER MAY BECOME INFLAMED WHICH MAY RESULT IN RIGHT UPPER ABDOMINAL PAIN. AVOID ALCOHOL AND AVOID TAKING PRESCRIPTION PAIN MEDICATION AS THIS MAY IRRITATE YOUR LIVER MORE. IF YOUR LIVER INFLAMMATION INCREASES, YOU MAY DEVELOP JAUNDICE WHICH CAN LOOK LIKE A YELLOWING OF THE EYES OR SKIN. IF THIS OCCURS, YOU WANT TO CALL YOUR CANCER DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY. ESPECIALLY IF YOU DEVELOP A HIGH FEVER, DROWSINESS, CONFUSION, OR SEVERE SWELLING/PAIN IN YOUR STOMACH.
ALSO, CALL YOU DOCTOR IF YOUR STOOLS APPEAR PALE IN COLOR, YOU HAVE DARK OR TEA COLORED URINE, OR IF YOU NOTICE YOU ARE BRUISING OR BLEEDING MORE EASILY AS THESE CAN ALL INDICATE A LIVER RELATED ADVERSE EVENT.
Title: Hormonal Related Adverse Events
LASTLY, HORMONES CAN BE AFFECTED FROM IMMUNOTHERAPY. YOUR PROVIDER MAY MONITOR CERTAIN HORMONES THROUGH LAB DRAWS SUCH AS YOUR THYROID HORMONE BUT YOU ALSO MAY EXPERIENCE SYMPTOMS AT HOME OF HORMONAL CHANGES.
THESE INCLUDE FATIGUE, HEADACHE, NAUSEA OR VOMITING. AT HOME, MAINTAIN A WELL-BALANCED DIET, CALL IF YOU HAVE HEADACHES THAT ARE NOT MANAGED OR NAUSEA NOT MANAGED. YOU CAN TAKE ANTI-NAUSEA MEDICATION TO HELP.
IF YOU DEVELOP NEW DIZZINESS, CONFUSION, OR DROWSINESS YOU WILL WANT TO CALL YOUR CANCER DOCTOR RIGHT WAY. CALL ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE A SEVERE HEADACHE WITH THE DIZZINESS, FAINTING, VISION CHANGES OR FEVER.
ALSO, SOME HORMONAL CHANGES CAN CAUSE A LOSS OF SEXUAL FUNCTION. IF THIS OCCURS, DISCUSS THIS WITH YOUR DOCTOR. HAIR LOSS WHILE UNCOMMON WITH IMMUNOTHERAPY, MAY BE NOTICED DUE TO HORMONAL RELATED ADVERSE EVENTS. THIS SHOULD ALSO BE DISCUSSED WITH YOUR DOCTOR IF IT OCCURS.
Title: Reporting Adverse Events of Immunotherapy
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO REPORT ALL SYMPTOMS YOU ARE EXPERIENCING TO YOUR TREATMENT TEAM ESPECIALLY SYMPTOMS THAT ARE NEW OR AFFECTING YOUR DAILY LIFE. ADVERSE EFFECTS CAN TURN MORE SERIOUS IF NOT PREVENTED CORRECTLY OR STOPPED EARLY. HAVING SIDE EFFECTS DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN YOU WILL HAVE TO STOP YOUR TREATMENT. MANY TIMES, IT IS POSSIBLE TO REVERSE SOME SYMPTOMS IF THEY ARE CAUGHT EARLY.
Title: Home Care while on Immunotherapy
THERE ARE NO SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS NEEDED IF YOU RECEIVED ONLY IMMUNOTHERAPY. THE PRIMARY FOCUS AFTER RECEIVING IMMUNOTHERAPY IS TO MONITOR SIDE EFFECTS AT HOME. IF YOU ARE SEXUALLY ACTIVE, YOU WANT TO USE PROTECTIVE MEASURES TO PREVENT PREGNANCY DURING YOUR IMMUNOTHERAPY TREATMENT.
