Most chemical treatments for cancer affect the patient’s
hair in some way. It’s a tradeoff for the beneficial effects of the treatment.
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| Before and After |
In my case I had arrived at the age of 67 with a relatively
full head of hair, if rather more sparse than in younger days, and with a good
deal of the original color remaining. After six months of treatment with the
Pfizer targeted therapy drug Sutent for my renal cancer, most of that remaining
hair color has vanished and my hair is somewhat sparser, both on my head and
everywhere else.
I suspect that most people who undergo this type of
treatment find this particular side effect to be psychologically aging and,
perhaps, consequently difficult to deal with. When I look in the mirror, I
remind myself that the cancer is not aging me—or giving me the appearance of
aging—but, rather, the treatment is doing so. The treatment, however, is
keeping the cancer in check and allowing me to live longer and to go about living
most days in relative normality.
What’s the old saying: Just because there’s snow on the roof
doesn’t mean there isn’t still a fire in the furnace? Acquiring a “snowy roof”
is not a bad tradeoff, considering the alternative.
I'm curious as to what other side effects you've had. Dad was on Sutent and is now in remission but it's messed with his sense of taste and seems to have messed with his reasoning skills.
ReplyDeleteGary, it's good to hear that your dad is in remission. See the post titled "Side Effects" from July. To date, I have not experienced taste problems, despite a number of mouth-related side effects, nor have I experienced cognitive issues, such as problems with memory or reasoning.
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