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Reports on side effects 'key' for better cancer drugs

Elly Burhaini Faizal (The Jakarta Post)

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Jakarta

Tue, September 22, 2020 Published on Sep. 21, 2020 Published on 2020-09-21T21:48:37+07:00

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New US research has found that at-home acupressure could help women relieve some of the side effects of breast cancer treatment.

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atients are expected to play a more active role in reporting any side effects of drugs they consume for the sake of their own safety, as studies reveal that effective communication between doctors and patients about medical treatment and its consequences has a crucial impact on health outcomes.

Indonesian Cancer Foundation (YKI) chairman Aru Wisaksono Sudoyo said it was important to boost awareness of patients, particularly cancer patients, to report adverse events of drugs they have consumed to their doctors.

“Patients should understand and be able to manage side effects of drugs, such as nausea, dizziness, lip crack and tiredness that can occur in cancer treatment. Therefore, they are advised to first learn treatment they will undergo and side effects that may occur, after which they can adopt lifestyle changes and eating pattern to minimize the side effects of their cancer treatment,” Aru said during a webinar held by YKI and Bayer Indonesia on Thursday to commemorate the 2020 Patient Safety Day, which falls on Sept. 17

Based on the patients’ reports, doctors can provide advice on certain medical treatment needed, including on whether they should change medicines they need to take, said the oncologist-hematologist.