Chemotherapy treatment can affect a patient’s toenails, causing discolouration and making them more brittle and prone to breakage.
Onycholysis (the loosening or separation of a finger or toenail from the nail bed), onychocryptosis (ingrowing toenail), and paronychia (skin infection around a finger or toenail) are the most common issues we see in clinic.
Chemotherapy can also cause nerve damage in the hands and feet which can lower a patient’s immune system leaving them more prone to infection.
At Reed Footcare Clinic we can assist with both direct treatment but also by providing advice on personal toenail care when it is appropriate for the patient to self-manage or with assistance from a family member or friend.
Side effects from chemotherapy can continue for some time after the treatment plan has ended so it’s very important that cancer patients have access to high-quality footcare.
If you have any queries about the breadth of our footcare services and in particular for people going through cancer treatment, we welcome you to get in touch.