Health for life

Chemotherapy is never something anyone wants to go through but for many it is the difference between life and death. There are many side effects to this type of cancer treatment and dry skin is one of the most common. The dry skin is more associated with the medications that are used during the treatments rather than the chemotherapy itself. Coping with skin issues, however, is often much easier than coping with some of the other side effects such as hair loss.


Is Your Skin Dry?

If you did not pay much attention to your skin before you started your chemotherapy sessions then you may not know what to expect. There are some common signs that you can watch for that can alert you as soon as it becomes an issue:

· Skin Feels Tight

· You Start to Itch More

· The Skin Looks Scaly

· Your Skin Starts Peeling

· There is Cracking of the Skin

These symptoms go from the earliest signs to the final signs of drying skin. Once you notice your skin is becoming tighter, you should start taking measures to hydrate it. Once the skin gets to the cracking stage, there is more pain associated with the dry skin. You may even notice the big cracks are starting to bleed.

Treating the Dry Skin

If you notice any of the symptoms above your skin is in distress and needs to be rehydrated. The first thing you can do is drink more water. This is the first thing your oncologist will tell you, too. All of your cells need water to thrive, including skin cells. The medications and radiation from the treatments really dry out the body and is what causes the dry skin issues.

Here are some other tips to keeping your skin well hydrated:

· Avoid bathing or showing in very hot water.

· Do not linger while showering or bathing.

· Use soothing scent free-soap.

· Moisturize with body butter directly after your shower and reapply liberally.

· Use a SPF 30 or higher sunblock any time you go outside.

· Products with ammonium lactate help with severe dry skin.

· Do not rub skin dry; pat it with a soft, absorbent towel instead.

Dry skin is a common side effect from chemotherapy. While it is uncomfortable, it can be painful if the above tips are not followed. Peeling and cracking skin can cause scarring if the cracks get too deep under the epidermal layer. The main tip to remember is to keep your skin moisturized from the inside and out.

Article by : Lisa A Mason

Article Source : Treating Dry Skin After Chemotherapy

A large diabetes study was interrupted yesterday because of an unexpected number of deaths. Whats notable here is that only one arm of the study was halted, that involving participants who were undergoing aggressive blood glucose lowering strategies. The less intensive treatment arms are ongoing.

The study in question is the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) trial, which enlisted 10,251 patients with type 2 diabetes who were at high risk for heart disease. After about 4 years, there were 257 deaths in the intensive treatment arm and 203 deaths in those receiving standard BG treatment ... a difference of 54 deaths.

Elizabeth Nabel, director of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) which is sponsoring the study, said, "The harm of the very intensive treatment outweighed the potential benefit."

Intensive Treatment

All participants received the same dietary and lifestyle recommendations. However, since the goal for those in the intensive treatment arm was to achieve an HbA1C < 6.0%, a fasting BG of 100 mg/dl or less, and a 2-hour postprandial BG of 140 mg/dl or less, several drug therapies were aggressively employed. The protocol stated:

"Most intensive group participants will likely be on 3 or more injections of insulin per day in addition to 2 or 3 oral agents." All patients in the intensive arm received a minimum of 2 oral agents.
- ACCORD Protocol, May 11, 2005

Those in the standard treatment groups used a combination of dietary, lifestyle and drug therapies to achieve an HbA1C of 7.0 to 7.9% and a fasting BG of 90 mg/dl or more. Postprandial BGs were not routinely used to guide therapy in this group, and healthcare contacts were less frequent and less intense.

ACCORD researchers have not yet determined the cause of the excessive deaths.

Dr. Steven Nissen, chairman of the department of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic speculated that patients may suffer unintended consequences from taking so many drugs, which might interact in unexpected ways.
________
News summaries:
Deaths Halt Part of Diabetes Study, Scientists Fear Heart Attacks, Strokes Were Tied to Treatment, Washington Post
Diabetes Study Partially Halted After Deaths, New York Times

NHLBI press release:
For Safety, NHLBI Changes Intensive Blood Sugar Treatment Strategy in Clinical Trial of Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease

ACCORD Trial online:
ACCORD