Risks of Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy refers to the broad class of drugs used to treat cancer. Chemotherapy drugs are designed to kill cancer cells, but as a result of the strength of the medicine and the intravenous delivery of the drugs, they also affect many normal cells and can have a lasting impact on your body. Although chemotherapy may be necessary to save your life when you are undergoing cancer treatment, it is important to be aware of the long-term risks associated with the medication.

Cell Damage

• While chemotherapy is specifically designed to kill cancer cells, the chemical formula of most chemotherapy drugs is not precise enough to target only cancer cells. As a result, chemotherapy medications also damage normal cells which divide and regenerate rapidly. Cells especially susceptible to damage include bone barrow or blood cells, hair cells, digestive cells and reproductive cells. The damage to these cells causes a lot of the short-term side effects associated with chemotherapy, including hair loss, nausea and vomiting. The damage also may be responsible for some of the long-term risks of chemotherapy.

Heart Damage

• Some chemotherapy agents, especially anthracycline chemotherapy, can permanently damage your heart muscles. This damage occurs in approximately one out of 10 patients undergoing cancer therapy. The heart muscles become permanently unable to function at maximum capacity when pumping blood through your body, leading to fluid buildup and, potentially, congestive heart failure.

Nervous System Changes

• Some chemotherapy agents can permanently alter your central nervous system either directly or indirectly, including your brain, spinal cord, cranial nerves or peripheral nerves. As a result of this damage, patients may experience lasting problems that persist for years after chemotherapy. Problems associated with damage to the central nervous system include neck pain, headaches, vomiting, fatigue, fever, depression, seizures, blurred vision, or numbness and tingling in the extremities.

Changes in Thinking and Memory

• According to the American Cancer Society, various studies have demonstrated that chemotherapy agents can have a lasting impact on brain function. Often referred to as "chemo-brain," patients experience fuzzy or delayed reaction times, perhaps as a result of cytokines produced by the body in response to the chemotherapy agent.

Lung Damage

• Certain chemotherapy medications, especially bleomycin, can cause permanent damage to your lungs. This damage is exacerbated in smokers or those who receive chest radiation as a part of their cancer treatment. The damage also occurs more frequently in those over the age of 70, who are three times more likely to develop this permanent side effect.

Reproduction and Sexuality

• Chemotherapy can have a lasting, or permanent, impact on fertility and sexual desire in both men and women. Both genders report lower sex drives following chemotherapy. Certain chemotherapy medications and radiations may also make either men or women infertile.