Nausea

Feeling sick in the stomach (nauseated) is an unpleasant symptom experienced by some people with cancer of unknown primary (CUP).

Learn more about:

• What causes nausea?
• Tips for easing nausea

What causes nausea?

Nausea can be caused by the cancer itself. It can also be a side effect of some types of chemotherapy, but anti-nausea medicines can often prevent or manage this.

Other causes of nausea include:

• treatment with radiation therapy
• stress or anxiety
• too much or too little of a mineral in the blood, e.g. calcium
• drugs used to control other symptoms, e.g. morphine for pain
• the kidneys not working properly
• an oral thrush infection, sometimes related to chemotherapy
• a bowel blockage (obstruction) or constipation
• increased pressure around the brain as a result of cancer in the brain or cancer affecting the fluid around the spinal cord.

Tips for easing nausea

• Eat small meals as often as you can.
• Eat cold foods, such as sandwiches, salads, stewed fruit or jelly.
• Avoid strong odours and cooking smells.
• Have food or drink that contains ginger, such as ginger ale, ginger tea or ginger cake.
• Use stress-reduction techniques such as meditation or relaxation.
• Talk to your doctor or nurse about anti-nausea drugs or treatments that can help relieve constipation.

For more on this, see Nutrition and cancer, and listen to our podcast on Appetite Loss and Nausea.