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The side effects of chemotherapy can include constipation. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids to help loosen the bowels. If you do not have mouth sores, try warm and hot fluids, including water, to help provide relief from constipation symptoms.

Some practical and helpful tips to help you or a loved one cope with a cancer diagnosis.

Imaging—X-rays, CT scans, MRIs—is used to find tumors and other abnormalities, to determine the extent of disease, and to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment. Learn about the different imaging tests used in cancer diagnostics.

Your doctor may prescribe a medicine to control your symptoms. Or if symptoms persist, you may need fluid replacement intravenously (I.V.). When you are having chemotherapy, you should not take any over-the-counter medicines for diarrhea without first talking with your doctor.

Grieving is a normal response to a loss. The loss can include the loss of your normal daily routine, the impact of the diagnosis on other family members, and the financial impact of the diagnosis.

To boost your calories, add butter or margarine to puddings, casseroles, sandwiches, vegetables, cooked cereal, breads, and pasta. Add wheat germ to hot cereals, meat dishes, cookie batter, and casseroles.

With some cancers, people are given hormone therapy as soon as cancer is diagnosed, before any other treatment. It may shrink a tumor, or it may halt the advance of the disease. In some cancers, such as prostate cancer, hormone therapy helps ease the painful and distressing symptoms of advanced disease.

A family medical history helps to find out if relatives have an increased chance of developing specific types of cancer, how great the risk of cancer might be, and if genetic testing might be useful.

Nearly all chemo medicines suppress the bone marrow. And that, in turn, causes a reduction in the number of blood cells. This raises the risk for anemia, infection, bleeding, and bruising. Here's what you need to know.