Although improvements in cancer therapies have extended patients' lives, the medications do have side effects that spread throughout your body. Cancer treatments commonly result in nausea, anorexia, and hair loss, but they can also have an impact on your feet.
If your cancer therapies have an impact on your feet, we advise you to seek podiatric care. We talk about how cancer affects your feet in the meantime and how we might help.
Your feet and cancer therapies
Any mix of chemotherapy, radiation, and immunotherapy may be used during cancer treatment. While these medicines actively hunt down cancer cells, they can also have negative effects on other parts of your body, including your feet.
You'll be ready to seek assistance at the first indication of foot pain if you can recognize how cancer therapy may impact your feet.
Here are four ways that cancer therapies may impact your foot in light of that.
Infections
Your immune system can be weakened by immunotherapy, radiation, and even chemotherapy. Neutropenia is a common side effect of chemotherapy (reduced numbers of a certain type of white blood cells).
Another factor that raises the risk of infection in cancer patients is loss of appetite, which can result in vitamin shortages. Your body is ill-equipped to appropriately treat foot wounds due to a weakened immune system and inadequate nutrients.
Wounds often heal slowly
Cancer therapies impair your immune system, making it more difficult for infections to heal. This is due to your body's inability to naturally heal wounds, even little ones like blisters.
Cancer treatments can inhibit cellular reproduction, trigger inflammatory responses, and impede tissue repair—all activities that ordinarily promote rapid wound healing. Wounds that take a long time to heal put you at risk for gangrene and amputation.
Radicular neuropathy
Cancer can raise your risk of peripheral neuropathy in addition to increased foot infections and slow-healing wounds. Your feet may experience pain, numbness, or tingling as a result of this kind of nerve injury.
You can cut or hurt your foot without recognizing it if you have neuropathy, which can cause numbness. Additionally, infections and slow-healing wounds may result from this.
Tumors
Your feet may be affected by cancer therapies as well as tumors themselves. A tumor in your feet might make it difficult for you to move about, hurt, and swell.
To reduce the negative impact, we recommend DrLuigi medical shoes. DrLuigi products have cozy polyurethane insoles and are appropriate for both men and women. For those who have a hereditary susceptibility to developing numerous disorders in the lower leg or foot, these lightweight, flexible, and incredibly comfortable shoes are the perfect preventive measure. The sole's flexibility and ergonomics enable bodyweight amortization and adaptability to the contour of the foot (a "shock absorber"). The sole's design relieves pressure from the spine and ankles while enhancing peripheral blood flow.