Possible Side Effects of Chemotherapy

The human body is made of millions of cells which are of different types. All cells grow, divide and die, they are replaced by new cells. This process continues to repeat itself throughout your life. Sometimes, this process gets out of hand. Cells may suddenly grow and multiply abnormally to form a mass of tissue known as tumors, which could become cancerous. These cancerous cells attack nearby tissues and even spread to other parts of the body via the blood stream.

It is believed that cancer is the result of changes in genes that are responsible for controlling the growth and death of cells. These genes may change when a person smokes or chews tobacco for a long period of time, or is exposed to radiation from sunlight or carcinogens.

There are more than a hundred different types of cancers and generally the name of the cancer indicates the site of its origin. There are hardly any symptoms that can be related to specifically to cancer unless a proper screening is conducted. It is important to detect cancer in time so that it can be successfully treated. Chemotherapy is proven to be a successful method of cancer treatment.

Chemotherapy applies specific drugs to kill cancer cells in the body. These drugs are given intravenously or orally. There are a number of anticancer drugs and the combination, dosage and frequency will be decided by your oncologist.

All Chemotherapic drugs have their own side effects; the magnitude may vary from person to person. These drugs are meant to kill cancer cells which divide rapidly. They get flushed out of your system before the slowly dividing healthy cells get affected. Some normal cells are also rapidly dividing cells, like bone marrow cells, hair producing cells and cells in the intestinal tract. These get affected by the Chemotherapic drugs.

When undergoing cancer treatment, you must ask your doctor about the possible side effects and be prepared to live with them for some time. Nausea is the most common side effect which can make you feel queasy all the time or even vomit after chemotherapy. Anti nausea medication may help you.

Hair loss is also a conspicuous side effect of Chemotherapic cancer treatment. You might notice just slight thinning of hair or may even lose all your hair. In any case, it is not permanent. Some people use wigs, some use scarves and some just ignore it. You can also do what suits you.

Some Chemotherapic drugs have the effect of slowing down or depressing the production of bone marrow which produces some critical elements of our immune system. This can make you prone to infections and you might need to be hospitalized in severe cases.

Among other side effects, you may experience anemia, changes in appetite, constipation or diarrhea, fatigue, urinary problems, swelling of the face, arms and legs, skin and nail allergies and pain while walking or numbness of hands and feet.

These are all temporary side effects of cancer treatment and can be managed with some help from your oncologist, your family and friends and lots of will power. You only need to remember that once you are cured of cancer, you will be able to return to your normal life gradually.