Leukemia Chemotherapy Side Effects

Leukemia is a cancer that penetrates a person's blood and bone marrow. White blood cells often proliferate when a person has this potentially fatal condition. Chemotherapy, one of the most popular forms of treatment for leukemia, is a process in which powerful drugs are employed in an attempt to eradicate cancerous cells. While this method can be effective, it also has a number of side effects.

Understanding Chemotherapy

• The side effects of chemotherapy can be brutal. Cancerous cells are destroyed with these intense treatments, but many of the body's healthy, noncancerous cells are eliminated at the same time. Side effects vary depending on the method of treatment, the dosage level and the length of time that treatment is administered. They also may depend on a person's individual resistance to certain effects from the drugs.

Hair Loss

• Hair loss is one of the most common side effects of chemotherapy. The cells that contribute to the growth of hair follicles sometimes are among those eradicated by chemotherapy treatments. Many patients end up bald because of chemotherapy.

Mouth Sores

• Chemotherapy can be given in a variety of ways. Drugs can be injected under the skin, through a vein or into muscle tissue. They can also be given orally, in which case they may cause mouth sores and swollen glands in the mouth area.

Anemia

• Anemia, a lack of sufficient red blood cells, can occur if the chemotherapy kills too many of these healthy cells. When this happens, the patient may experience fatigue, shortness of breath and dizziness.

Leukopenia

• Chemotherapy can also cause leukopenia, a decrease in the number of white blood cells. The body's immune system is compromised and a person is more susceptible to infection and disease when he has a reduced number of white blood cells.

Stomach Discomfort

• It is common for people who receive chemotherapy to have intense stomach discomfort. Nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting are all side effects of chemotherapy; patients may experience all of these.

Infertility

• The drugs used for chemotherapy can also affect a patient's fertility. Men may no longer be able to produce sperm. Women may no longer have a menstrual period. Symptoms of menopause are common for slightly older women. Most, but not all, children undergoing chemotherapy will grow up without reproductive complications if the treatment is successful.