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Reviewed by a physician | Last reviewed by medical professionals at MD Anderson Cancer Center on July 15, 2021.
Staying cool in the summer can be a challenge for even the healthiest people. So if you have cancer, how do you cope? If you are undergoing cancer treatment, are there any special measures you can take to cope with the high temperatures outside?
In hot weather, the biggest challenge for most cancer patients is often staying hydrated. This is because both the cancer itself and the side effects of its treatment can cause people to stop eating normally. Whether it’s a change in taste, nausea from chemotherapy, or diarrhea from chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or radiation, the result is often the same: dehydration.
Drinking enough water is important for many reasons. It allows your blood to carry nutrients and oxygen throughout your body more efficiently. It also lubricates your joints, keeps mucous membranes moist, and helps regulate not only your body temperature, but your heart rate and blood pressure. Some chemotherapy drugs are also filtered by your kidneys, so it’s important that these organs have enough water to function properly.
Our bodies regulate temperature by evaporating sweat. But by the time you feel thirsty from urinating and losing water, you are already severely dehydrated. And the worse the situation, the longer it will take your body to absorb the fluids you consume. That’s why I recommend my patients drink cold drinks throughout the day.
However, not everyone enjoys drinking plain cold water. So I recommend drinking cold water with celery, cucumber, or various fruits. If you don’t want to puree the produce, simply add ¼ cup of your favorite juice to a large pitcher of water. Alternatively, try drinking an ice-cold low-sugar sports drink or a low-sugar popsicle to cool down and increase your fluid intake.
Most importantly, avoid drinks containing alcohol or caffeine, as they can be harmful to you. If you feel nauseous, contact your doctor, as once you feel this way, you will likely not want to drink anything. This can lead to more nausea, and a vicious cycle begins.
In hot weather, many people enjoy taking a dip to cool off, but check with your doctor to make sure swimming is a safe option for you.
Sometimes radiation therapy can make people more sensitive to chemicals used in pool water, such as chlorine. However, as long as the part of the body being treated is not submerged in water, radiation therapy may be acceptable. For example, if you have head and neck cancer, your doctor may allow you to sit in a pool where the water only comes up to your chest. However, if the pool is not properly maintained, it can become a source of infection.
That’s why I don’t recommend swimming in natural bodies of water at all because of the risk of infection. People with weakened immune systems should avoid ponds and lakes, especially if they have broken skin, because bacteria and many other microorganisms thrive in stagnant, warm water. But talk to your doctor about what’s best for your particular situation.
Regulating body temperature is usually not a problem for most cancer patients. However, high humidity can make it difficult to cool the body through sweating, so try to avoid very hot places such as saunas, steam rooms, hot yoga classes, or hot tubs.
Also, be aware of your surroundings when exercising. From a psychological standpoint, being outdoors is beneficial, and light to moderate exercise is beneficial for our patients. However, during the hottest months of the year, it is best for patients to stay indoors with air conditioning.
If you must go outside — and your doctor says it’s okay — avoid strenuous activity in very hot weather. Instead, exercise early in the morning or late at night when it’s cool, and drink plenty of water. Consider using a thermos to keep drinks cold longer, or carry a cooling towel with you.
Dehydration can be a side effect of cancer treatment, so doctors do everything they can to prevent it. That’s why I usually start by asking patients how much fluid they’re drinking. Early symptoms of dehydration include headache and nausea, as well as weakness, dizziness, constipation, and fatigue.
Headaches and nausea can also be symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Therefore, it is also important to pay attention to the warning signs of these symptoms.
Heat exhaustion is usually caused by depletion of salts and/or short-term exposure to high temperatures. Older and obese people are more susceptible to heat exhaustion, which can usually be alleviated by finding an air-conditioned room, resting, and drinking cool drinks.
But heat stroke is something else entirely. It usually occurs in people who are exposed to high temperatures for a long time, such as workers or athletes exercising outdoors. When a person’s body temperature rises that high, it can be life-threatening. So help must be sought immediately. If someone suspects heat stroke, call 9-1-1 and while you wait, ask the person to stop what they are doing and lie down in the shade or indoors, then wrap them in a cool, wet towel and give them a cold sports drink.
Some forms of chemotherapy and radiation therapy can make cancer patients more sensitive to sunlight. However, your specific risk depends on the type of cancer and the treatment you receive. Some people believe that if breast cancer patients are undergoing chest radiation, they should also avoid exposing their legs and arms to the sun. But that’s not true. While systemic treatments like chemotherapy affect the entire body, radiation therapy side effects are usually limited to certain parts of the body.
However, anyone spending time outdoors should use sunscreen with at least SPF 30 and reapply regularly. It’s also important to wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses with UVA and UVB protection, as well as UV-blocking clothing, such as a long-sleeved swimsuit. Wearing a hat is especially important for people experiencing hair loss or undergoing radiation therapy for head and neck cancer. Most importantly, seek shade or stay indoors between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun is strongest.
By following these tips, you can stay cool and safe during the hottest months of summer.