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Can Chemo Damage Your Stomach Lining?

Chemotherapy is normally prescribed as a treatment for cancer without regard to its impact on the body as a whole. One area of concern is the stomach and the effects of chemotherapy-induced nausea.

  1. Function

    • The specific function of chemotherapy is to impede the growth and spread of tumors. To that end, chemotherapy works to destroy cancerous cells in the body.

    Cell Types

    • In treating cancer, chemotherapy makes no distinction between normal and abnormal cells. The goal of chemotherapy is to destroy all of the abnormal cells while doing as little damage to the rest of the body as possible.

    Effects

    • In low dose chemotherapy, little damage is done to the body. Given enough time, the body will repair itself.

      High dose chemotherapy is the form of treatment most associated with hair loss, nausea and vomiting. It is this constant purging of the stomach that can do severe damage to the lining of the stomach.

    Considerations

    • The stomach lining is coated in mucus, which is constantly being digested and replaced by the body. Chemotherapy can decrease the amount of mucus making damage to the stomach more likely.

    Prevention/Solution

    • Discuss anti-nausea medication with your oncologist. When the nausea abates, try eating stomach-soothing foods such as dairy products. These foods will help your stomach replace the mucus faster.

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