This week's artwork was donated by Dathan, a pediatric cancer patient who received treatment at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia . The following questions are frequently asked by OncoLink readers who are experiencing diarrhea due to their disease or the side effects of treatment.
Diarrhea refers to the passage of loose or watery stools three or more times a day.
Patients with cancers of the gastrointestinal tract, including the stomach, colon, rectum often experience diarrhea. In addition, diarrhea may be a side effect of the cancer treatment, especially radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Diarrhea caused by cancer treatments may continue for up to 3 weeks after the treatment has been completed or stopped. Other common causes of diarrhea in cancer patients include bacterial and viral infections, anxiety, and supplemental feeding containing large amounts of vitamins, minerals, sugar, and electrolytes. Patients who are constipated may also have leakage of diarrhea.