The Side Effects of Kidney Disease in Cancer Treatment

Cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation can be harmful to healthy organs. Healthy kidneys can be permanently damaged. If you have kidney disease prior to beginning cancer treatments you are at a higher risk of side effects and complications.

Function

• Your kidneys help maintain your body’s water balance, regulate your acid to base concentration and filter toxins from your blood. Kidney disease causes your kidneys to not function properly. This can cause headaches, pain, fatigue, weakness, nausea or swelling.

Cancer Treatments

• Common cancer treatments like radiation and chemotherapy can cause kidney damage. Radiation damages healthy tissue near the treatment site. Radiation near your kidneys can effect how they function. Chemotherapy drugs are broken down and passed through your kidneys. These drugs can build up and cause kidney damage.

Kidney Disease

• If your kidneys are damaged before you begin treatment you may be at a higher risk for problems. Diseased kidneys are not able to filter out cancer treatments from the body. This can cause your toxin levels to rise. Drug toxins that are not eliminated can cause permanent damage to your organs and increase the intensity of your side effects.

Chemotherapy Drugs

• If you have kidney disease tell your doctor about your condition before your begin treatment. Some treatment drugs are more likely to damage your kidney. Cisplatin, cyclophosphamide, streptozocin or high dose methotroxate are some of the drugs linked to kidney damage.

Prevention

• If you have kidney disease or are at risk for kidney damage, your doctor may order regular blood tests to check your kidney function. This will help your doctor spot problems with your kidney function before the damage becomes permanent.