Side Effects of Chemotherpy

Few phrases in the English language are more frightening than the words "You have cancer." If you or a loved one has been affected by this dreaded condition, your doctor may have suggested several avenues of treatment. Chemotherapy is one of the most common forms of cancer treatment in use today, but it does carry the risk of potential side effects.

Why Chemotherapy Causes Side Effects

• Chemotherapy is a process that uses specific drugs to kill the cancer cells in the body. Unfortunately, healthy cells, especially those that are constantly in a state of division and regrowth, are often damaged in the process. This collateral damage is the basis for most of the well-known chemotherapy side effects.

Damaged Bone Marrow

• When the bone marrow is damaged by chemotherapy, noticeable changes will appear in the patient's blood. While this will not appear rapidly after the first chemotherapy treatment, it is a common side effect that all patients undergoing chemotherapy share. The changes to the blood's cellular makeup will be traced at regular intervals by your physician.

Nausea and Vomiting

• Two closely related side effects that many patients undergoing chemotherapy endure are nausea and vomiting. The drugs used in chemotherapy are irritants to the lining of the digestive tract, thus contributing to appearance side effects.

Hair Loss or Alopecia

• Nearly all patients receiving chemotherapy pause to consider hair loss when they first hear the word cancer. It is a very common side effect of chemotherapy, but the severity of this side effect varies according to the individual and specific chemotherapy drugs.

Changes in Appetite and Weight

• Often associated with the nausea and vomiting mentioned above, fluctuations in weight and the near total loss of appetite may follow chemotherapy treatments.

Bowel Problems

• Many patients undergoing chemotherapy suffer from bowel problems, including constipation and diarrhea.