Why do patients with cervical cancer experience constipation during treatment

Constipation is a common clinical manifestation of cervical cancer patients, but the causes of constipation are also different. However, they can be summarized into the following aspects.

1. It is related to the patient's age. There are many elderly patients with cervical cancer, and the elderly patients have weak physical constitutions. The long-term torture of the tumor on the human body causes the patient's organs to be in a state of exhaustion and failure. In addition, the side effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy are more likely to cause qi deficiency and yin blood deficiency, leading to constipation.

2. It is related to medication. Many drugs taken by cervical cancer patients can cause constipation, such as analgesics, chemotherapy drugs and antiemetics. The incidence of constipation in patients taking opioid analgesics is close to 100%; chemotherapy drugs with autonomic neurotoxicity can also cause constipation and even paralytic ileus; in addition, antiemetics can also inhibit gastrointestinal motility and cause constipation.

3. Long-term illness and mental torture lead to a decrease in the patient's appetite. In addition, after the patient becomes ill, the family members mostly provide the patient with refined foods that lack fiber, which will inhibit normal gastrointestinal motility and absorption function and cause constipation.

Generally speaking, constipation in most patients is the result of the combined effects of the above three factors, and it is a vicious cycle. Bowel obstruction will bring many inconveniences to patients, which not only affects the treatment effect and the quality of life of patients, but also brings huge psychological pressure to patients. Therefore, active treatment should be given.