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November 2009 GIST Link

Managing Side-Effects

www.liferaftgroup.org/side_effects.html

GIST treatments like Gleevec and Sutent carry with them certain side-effects that vary individually in type and intensity.

Here are just a few ways that you can manage these side-effects. However, a more complete list can be found on the LRG website at www.liferaftgroup.org/side_effects.html

Mouth Sores

Mouth sores, or stomatitis as it is referred to in medical textbooks, can develop as a result of cancer treatment. There are many ways to help prevent and reduce the occurrence of mouth sores.

• Good oral hygiene is a must and very important in the fight against mouth sores.
• Make sure to brush teeth in the morning and night and after each meal or snack.
• When brushing, use a soft bristle toothbrush to avoid irritating the gums too harshly.
• Keeping your lips and mouth moisturized will also help ease the pain from sores and possibly even prevent them from forming.

Joint Pain

Medications to treat your GIST can sometimes cause joint pain. However, there are ways to manage it. An important thing you have to do before beginning any type of treatment is to keep a record of the pain. As part of the record, you should note:

• When the pain started
• What you were doing when the pain started, sensation (i.e. stabbing, throbbing, dull, constant...)
• Location
• Amount of pain on a scale from 1-10
• How long the pain lasted
• Any factors that seemed to relieve the pain.

Activities that can help ease pain without medication are:

• Physical Therapy-treats the pain by working the muscles and affected area through exercise
• Exercise
• Occupational Therapy-therapy that will help individuals learn how to perform certain tasks in different manners to help alleviate pain

Edema

Edema (swelling caused by fluid in your body tissue) can develop in different parts of the body and therefore cause different symptoms such as:

• Eye puffiness
• Swelling of lower legs
• Increase in abdominal girth
• Shortness of breath
• Weight gain

Some recommendations:

• Weigh yourself regularly; report significant or rapid weight gain to your health care provider
• Be alert for any changes to your body
• Limit the amount of salt you consume with your food (for example sausage and cheese, instant meals and snacks contain large amounts of salt). Read labels
• Eat boiled, unsalted rice with braised vegetables or fruit for 1 or 2 days and as required.

You can also download the LRG Side-Effects pamphlet here.

Don't forget to watch the Managing Side-Effects & Skin Side-Effects webcasts.

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