Abstract
Diarrhea is an often-overlooked side effect of cancer therapy that can significantly impact patient outcomes and quality of life. In a study of patient-reported chemotherapy side effects, diarrhea was the second most common side effect reported after fatigue.In response to a patient’s diarrhea, a treating physician may reduce a therapeutic dose or discontinue the cancer therapy altogether, potentially worsening patient outcomes. Specifically, patients with cancer and diarrhea are 40% more likely to discontinue their cancer therapy Furthermore, the cost of care for patients with cancer and diarrhea is estimated to be nearly 2.9 times higher than for patients with cancer without diarrhea.