What are the side effects of chemotherapy?

Chemotherapy is an important weapon in the fight against cancer and is also infamous for its side effects. It is important to realize that the side effects of chemotherapy have been radically decreased, thanks to the progress in science that allowed doctors to use more calculated doses and work with drugs that are less toxic. In the development of the treatment plan for cancer, it is definitely important to obtain information about the side effect of chemotherapy and it is necessary to consider potential for side effects, but the risk of side effects should be considered in accordance with the advantage of drugs. Some drugs are also accompanied by specific problems that your doctor should discuss before the treatment of the treatment plan, and patients should not be afraid to ask for detailed information about what to expect. It is designed to focus on malignant cells that cause cancer. In this process, however, they can also attack normal cells, causing side effects of chemotherapy. One of the most commonly observed side effects of chemotherapy is hair lossEffective damage to the root of hair caused by drugs.

Some other side effects of chemotherapy include: fatigue, especially immediately after treatment; nausea; vomiting; diarrhea; pain; dry mouth; bruises; susceptibility to infection; sore joints; ulcers; and numbness or tingling on the limbs. Some patients also experience sexual dysfunction and emotional anxiety is commonly associated with chemotherapy, both due to the tension of side effects and for depression or emotional unconvention of cancer.

Some long -term side effects of chemotherapy should also be considered. Chemotherapy can lead to bone loss, which can cause problems in the future and can also cause damage to the nerves known as neuropathy. Sometimes neuropathy may be temporary, but it is important to report any armor, loss of feeling or pain at the ends of the doctor. Some chemotherapeutic drugs may also cause long -termOrgan damage, especially the heart, and others are associated with the risk of second cancer in the future.

In considering chemotherapy as possibilities, patients should ask their doctor for sincere assessment about the possible benefits of chemotherapy. If treatment is effective, for example, in 90% of patients, it is worth the side effects in the minds of many patients. However, if the success rate is more than five percent, some patients may feel that pain and suffering of chemotherapy are not worth it is a small chance of survival, in which case palliative care may be more appropriate.