In clinical work, we often encounter advanced tumor patients with fever in the afternoon or at night. At this time, most of the patients’ family members are distraught and panic-stricken, worrying whether the tumor is developing rapidly or combined with serious infection, which may be life-threatening. They often ask the doctor to take immediate measures to make the elevated body temperature return to normal immediately. Causes of cancer fever The main reasons why cancer patients have fever are: 1. The development of tumor itself causes fever When cancer is in progress, due to the rapid growth of cancer tissue, the blood supply is insufficient to meet its needs, and a large number of cancer cells in the center will be necrotic and liquefied. At the same time, under the stimulation of cancer tissue, immune reaction such as infiltration of leukocytes into tumor tissue occurs in the body, and the pyrogen released from leukocytes can also cause cancer fever, especially when the disease develops and spreads; in addition, tumor cells are destroyed in large quantities due to radiotherapy and chemotherapy, which can also cause fever in the body. 2.Combined infection fever Most of the tumor patients will have lower immunity due to tumor itself or treatment, especially those with low white blood cell after chemotherapy, often cause fever due to cross infection in combined wards. Due to the weakness of patients, some microorganisms that are not pathogenic in normal human body, such as E. coli and bacteria in the mouth, can cause infection in cancer patients. Especially, lung cancer, leukemia, malignant lymphoma, multiple myeloma, liver cancer, colon cancer, stomach cancer and kidney cancer are common. Advanced lung cancer has a higher chance of co-infection due to the combination of bronchial obstruction and poor sputum drainage. Bacterial and anaerobic bacteria are the most common infections in cancer patients, and fungal infections are also common in patients with very poor systemic conditions. In addition, poor discharge of inflammatory secretions from the lesion and some treatment measures such as indwelling catheter, intravenous cannula and repeated sedation can cause fever due to secondary infection if the sterilization is not strict. 3.Other reasons The use of certain anti-cancer drugs may cause fever; the long-term malnutrition and over-consumption of cancer patients may cause the imbalance of thermoregulation center, etc., which may cause cancer fever. Four characteristics of cancer fever 1. No abnormal blood test Cancer fever, even if it is high fever, sometimes there is no abnormal performance in blood routine test, while fever of most diseases is accompanied by elevated white blood cells and accelerated blood sedimentation. 2.Long duration of low fever Cancer fever can last for more than several weeks. It is mostly seen in the afternoon or night fever. Before fever, the patient will not feel cold and shivering, but will feel irritable and hot. The fever temperature usually ranges from 37.5 to 38.5 degrees Celsius, and continuous high fever may appear when accompanied with infection, and low fever will continue after the infection is eliminated. 3.Ineffective use of antibiotics Cancer fever, the fever does not subside after using antibiotics, but the fever (especially high fever) can subside after applying chemotherapy drug treatment. 4.Fever can be the first symptom Cancer fever is sometimes the first symptom of cancer, and some other symptoms caused by tumor enlargement and compression will appear afterwards. Treatment measures for cancer fever 1.Anti-infection and anti-fever If malignant tumor is combined with infection and fever, fever is often the earliest symptom of infection. The most effective antibiotics should be applied according to the drug sensitivity test in time for targeted treatment. For patients who are undergoing radiotherapy, regular blood tests should be performed. When the total number of white blood cells or neutrophils is low, radiotherapy should be stopped to prevent secondary infection. Some studies have shown that the incidence of infection is higher when the white blood cells in the blood are below a certain level. 2, symptomatic treatment of fever (1) physical cooling: 50% ethanol can be used to rub the body or use ice, ice bags placed on the forehead, axillae. (2) drug antipyretic: can use anti-inflammatory pain plugs anal antipyretic, or with compound aminopyrine injection intramuscular antipyretic, anacin injection nasal antipyretic. Long-term afternoon hypothermia can be used as appropriate anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs slow release or COX2 inhibitors such as Nimesulide dispersible tablets, but pay attention to avoid long-term use, so as not to damage the gastric mucosa, causing gastric bleeding. 3, precautions after fever Sweating wet clothes after fever, pay attention to timely replacement of clothes to prevent when the wind cold, aggravating the disease. If you have dry mouth after fever, you should eat more watermelon, pear, orange and other fruits to replenish water and body fluids, and also use fresh pear, fresh water chestnut, fresh reed root, fresh maitake, fresh lotus root juice and drink, which is called five juice drink in Chinese medicine and has the effect of moistening dryness. If you have a prolonged fever that leads to poor appetite, weakness and spleen deficiency, you can use raw yam, raw rice kernel, jujube and japonica rice to cook porridge for consumption, which helps to strengthen the spleen, benefit the qi and stomach.