The cells in your body must have a certain amount of liquid to function well. This is called hydration or being hydrated.
When you don't have enough fluid in your body or do not have enough where it’s needed in the body it is called dehydration.
When your body puts out more fluid than it takes in, you can become dehydrated. A person can become dehydrated for many reasons, whether they have cancer or not. It can happen because a person does not eat or drink enough, or because they are losing excessive amounts of fluids.
Here are some conditions or side effects that can lead to dehydration in a person who has cancer:
The American Cancer Society medical and editorial content team
Our team is made up of doctors and oncology certified nurses with deep knowledge of cancer care as well as journalists, editors, and translators with extensive experience in medical writing.
Besser J, Grant BL, American Cancer Society. What to Eat During Cancer Treatment. Atlanta, GA: American Cancer Society; 2018.
Gallegos C, Brito-de la Fuente E, Clave P, Costa A, Assegehagn G. Nutritional aspects of dysphagia management. Adv Food Nutr Res. 2017;81:271-318.
National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN). Clinical practice guidelines in oncology: Palliative care. Version 2.2019. Accessed at www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/pdf/palliative.pdf on January 21, 2020.
Last Revised: February 1, 2020
American Cancer Society medical information is copyrighted material. For reprint requests, please see our Content Usage Policy.