Chemotherapy kills rapidly dividing cancer cells, but it also kills other rapidly dividing healthy cells in the body, such as the oral mucosa, gastrointestinal mucosa, hair follicles, and bone marrow.
So the side effects of chemotherapy are related to where these damaged cells are located. However, the damaged non-cancerous cells are gradually replaced by healthy cells, so the side effects are often only temporary.
The specific side effects that occur depend on the type of drug used, the dose, and the duration of the drug.
The most common side effects of chemotherapy include:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Hair loss
- Mouth ulcers
- Diarrhea
- Infertility (a potentially permanent side effect of chemotherapy)
- Bone marrow suppression
Other side effects of chemotherapy on the bone marrow include:
- Infection (low white blood cells due to chemotherapy);
- bleeding or bruising (low platelets from chemotherapy);
- Fatigue associated with anemia (low red blood cells due to chemotherapy).
Some drugs may be used to control certain side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. Although this may take some time, these side effects usually go away after you stop chemotherapy.
Before chemotherapy, talk to your doctor about the possible side effects caused by chemotherapy drugs and what to do about them. Before each chemotherapy treatment, patients should have their blood work and liver function checked to see if they can tolerate chemotherapy.