Final answer:
When patients undergo radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or immunotherapy for cancer, they may face complications such as uncontrolled nausea and dehydration due to the treatments' side effects on rapidly dividing cells.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a patient is admitted for radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or immunotherapy for cancer treatment, complications such as uncontrolled nausea and vomiting or dehydration may occur. This is a factual statement as conventional cancer therapies often come with a range of side effects. The treatments target rapidly dividing cells, leading to side effects including gastrointestinal issues like nausea, dehydration, and hair loss due to the impact on hair follicles.Specifically, radiation therapy can cause skin irritation, itching, changes in white and red blood cell production leading to immune disorders and anemia, as well as gastrointestinal discomfort and hair loss. Medications such as narcotics, zofran, and phenergan can be prescribed to alleviate some of these symptoms. Likewise, chemotherapy can cause similar side effects, and strategies like cooling devices and cold cap therapy are employed to reduce the risk of losing finger and toenails, and hair, respectively.It is imperative that the medical team providing care for cancer patients be prepared to manage these complications, which are known and expected risks associated with these cancer therapies.