Common Side Effects of Cancer Chemotherapy
Just like every other drug, Cancer Chemotherapy has its side effects, which are most times more serious than those of other drugs. This is because Chemotherapy for cancer is made to target cancer cells, which are fast-growing cells. In doing this, they can also affect other fast-growing cells of the body, while causing other possible problems.
You should understand that these side effects depend largely on dose and duration.
What is Cancer Chemotherapy?
Cancer chemotherapies are drugs or medications used either alone or in addition to other modalities (such as Surgery, Radiotherapy, etc) used in the treatment of Cancers like Breast cancer, Cervical Cancer, etc.
These drugs are highly toxic and should not be given to people in Certain conditions such as Pregnancy, Anaemic patients, etc
Common Side effects of chemotherapy
- Hair loss: because the drugs attack any cell that is growing fast, such as hair cells, blood cells, etc, it would also attack the cells of the hair thinking it’s cancer cells. This also leads to the anaemia that comes with cancer treatment.
- Fatigue: Easily get tired.
- Nausea and vomiting: This just like in any other drug, contributes to the weakness felt.
- Infection: cancer medications due to their effect on blood cells decrease the ability of the body to fight infections (that is our immunity), hence, these organisms find it easy to thrive, thereby leading to recurrent infections.
- Anaemia: as explained above, the drugs affect the blood cells, causing low red blood cells otherwise called Anaemia.
- Constipation:
And many others.
