How Diabetes affects Cancer Treatment?

When diabetes patients are diagnosed with cancer, their treatment becomes more complicated. They need to take care of their diabetes and cancer treatment simultaneously. For your better understanding, Diabetes is a condition that affects the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar, leading to potentially serious health consequences. There are two types of diabetes: Type 1 and type 2. 

• Type 1 diabetes usually happens in childhood or adolescence and is an autoimmune disorder where the body attacks itself because it has been exposed to something outside of the body that triggers an immune response. 

• Type 2 diabetes typically happens over time due to obesity and lifestyle choices, such as not exercising or eating too much sugar.

On the other hand, cancer can happen to anyone at any age, but it usually starts with changes to the DNA that can be caused by environmental, lifestyle factors or inherited genes. These changes can lead to uncontrolled cell growth and division, which then forms tumors that invade nearby tissue and spread throughout the body via blood or lymphatic vessels. Do not delay after diagnosis, get the best cancer treatment in Pune. 

 The following are some of the most common questions that arise when a diabetic is diagnosed with cancer:

• What are the risks of treating a diabetic with cancer?
• What are the side effects of chemotherapy on a diabetic?
• How will I manage my diabetes while undergoing cancer treatment?
• How long will it take before I can resume normal activities?
• Will my diabetes medications affect the course of cancer or its treatment?

Challenges in Cancer Treatment For Diabetic Patients

Well, concerns about cancer treatment are obvious. Chemotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that uses drugs to kill cancer cells and stop them from growing. It can be given in many ways, including intravenously, orally, topically, or as an injection into a muscle. Just like any other cancer treatment, it has some side effects such as nausea. To control side effects, steroids are often given to the patient. Steroids can increase glucose levels in the body. This is why it is important to adjust the diabetes treatment. A patient may need to take insulin injections as prescribed by the diabetologist & cancer doctor in Pune. In fact, steroids can also trigger diabetes in patients at high risk of developing the disease. Many oncologists suggest going for targeted therapy instead. It is likely to have fewer side effects in diabetic patients. 

For patients who already take insulin injections, determining the appropriate dose can be difficult. Insulin is normally given before a meal. If a patient vomits after the meal or has diarrhoea as a side effect of chemotherapy, their body may not absorb the food. This may result in blood sugar dropping extremely low. It can further lead to dehydration and can be fatal if not treated in time. Hence, it is crucial to keep a regular check on sugar levels when getting cancer treatment. Also, in some cases, patients like to eat foods they like, which are often high in carbohydrates and affect blood sugar levels in the body.

Other Health Complications

The body of a diabetic patient is weak. This means that the person has a lower tolerance for exercise and the body’s ability to heal itself is compromised. Diabetes can cause many serious complications, such as nerve damage, vision loss, etc. When a diabetic patient develops cancer, the primary focus is on giving them the best possible treatment for cancer before it becomes more complicated or uncontrollable. This means a diabetic patient will have to get the treatment as soon as possible because their road to recovery has more ups and downs than a normal patient with cancer has. 

Consult the best Oncologist in Pune

We understand it takes a lot of strength and willpower to heal from cancer when you are diabetic. Feel free to consult the best cancer hospital in Pune ‘Galaxy Care Hospital’ for your treatment. Our doctors are always available to answer your questions and concerns. We also offer a wide range of specialities that give us an edge over other hospitals, including surgical oncology, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormone therapy and more. So, do not delay your cancer treatment. Book your appointment today and start your treatment soon!