Common Side Effects of Chemotherapy
The known side effects of chemotherapy are caused by the cell killing effect of anticancer drugs. Chemotherapy drugs act on normal cells as well as cancer cells, because they are not accurate like a sniper. They are, rather, like a night raid, they kill the malignant cells but with collateral victims.
Because cancer cells usually grow and divide more rapidly than normal cells, many anticancer drugs are made to kill growing cells. The fast-growing normal cells most likely to be affected by chemotherapy are blood cells forming in the bone marrow, and cells in the digestive tract (mouth, esophagus, stomach, intestines), reproductive system (sexual organs), and hair follicles. Some anticancer drugs may affect cells of vital organs, such as the heart, kidney, bladder, lungs, and nervous system.
The advantage is the normal tissue can repair the damage made by anticancer drugs. That’s why your hair will grow back after the treatment, sometimes more beautiful than before.
You may have none of these side effects or just a few. The kinds of side effects you have and how severe they are, depend on the type and dose of chemotherapy you get and how your body reacts.
I strongly recommend you to talk with your doctor about all the side effects of the drugs you will be given before starting the treatment. You may need a few days to cope with the things he/she will tell you but I believe it’s better for to know from the beginning what you are facing. Do not postpone the treatment because you are afraid of the side effects. Those drugs may save your life. Also do not interrupt your treatment without your doctor advice. He/she is the only one who knows when the side effects are too dangerous for your health and for your life.
Most people have no serious long-term problems from chemotherapy. However, on some occasions, chemotherapy can cause permanent changes or damage to the heart, lungs, nerves, kidneys, reproductive or other organs. And certain types of chemotherapy may have delayed effects, such as a second cancer, that show up many years later.
The side effects of chemotherapy can be unpleasant, but they must be measured against the treatment’s ability to destroy cancer. Medicine can prevent some of the side effects, like nausea. Ask your doctor for help dealing with unpleasant side effects. Also talk with your doctor about all signs and symptoms you are experiencing during your chemotherapy. He or she can decide if the benefits are greater than the risks.
Most common side effect of chemotherapy is fatigue. The exact cause is not always known. It may be the result of anemia which causes a feeling of lethargy, dizziness, weakness, and shortness of breath. Fatigue may also be a result of a lot of energy being used by the body to recover from the effects of the drugs, disposing of dead cells and building new cells. Other factors such as pain, poor appetite, lack of rest, and emotional stress may also contribute to a patient’s fatigue. Fatigue from cancer feels different from fatigue of everyday life. Fatigue caused by chemotherapy can appear suddenly. Patients with cancer have described it as a total lack of energy and have used words such as worn out, drained, and wiped out to describe their fatigue. And rest does not always relieve it. But severe fatigue will go away gradually as the tumor responds to treatment.
Nausea and vomiting are also frequent during chemotherapy. New drugs have made these side effects far less common and, when they do occur, much less severe. If you are experiencing severe nausea or vomiting ask your doctor for a treatment. There are a lot of new, improved antiemetic or antinausea drugs and one of them will help you dealing with these side effects.
Diarrhea may be caused from direct damage of the lining of the intestines by some anti-cancer drugs. Anti-nausea drugs may also cause diarrhea.
Chemotherapy drugs can cause some side effects that are painful. The drugs can damage nerves, leading to burning, numbness, tingling or shooting pain, most often in the fingers or toes. Some drugs can also cause mouth sores, headaches, muscle pains, and stomach pains.
Hair loss (alopecia) is a common side effect of chemotherapy, but not all drugs cause hair loss. Your doctor can tell you if hair loss might occur with the drug or drugs you are taking. Although hair loss can be extremely devastating to the patient, remember that your hair will grow back after the treatments are over.
Chemotherapy can make you more likely to get infections. This happens because most anticancer drugs affect the bone marrow. Tell your doctor about all the infection signs you are experiencing: fever, sore throat, and wounds that do not heal or become inflamed.
Although may be possible during chemotherapy, it still is not advisable because some anticancer drugs may cause birth defects. Doctors advise women of childbearing age, from the teens through the end of menopause, to use some method of birth control throughout their treatment, such as condoms, spermicidal agents, diaphragms or birth control pills. Birth control pills may not be appropriate for some women, such as those with breast cancer. Ask your doctor about these contraceptive options.
To cope with all of the possible side-effects brought about by chemotherapy, you need to be well informed: knowing what to expect helps you to be prepared to handle any side-effects that may show up.
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