The side effects of chemotherapy are very varied and, moreover, depend on the drug received, the dose used and the tolerance of the recipient himself, his general state of health. In fact, side effects may vary among patients receiving the same treatment.
Among the most frequent are the following:
- Gastrointestinal toxicity: nausea and vomiting, diarrhea and mucositis (involvement of the mouth).
- Skin toxicity: hair loss and fragile nails.
- Marrow toxicity: anemia, leukopenia (facilitates infections due to fall of defenses) and thrombopenia (facilitates bleeding due to lack of platelets).
- Others: asthenia, neurological toxicity and cardiac toxicity.
Most drugs used against cancer act on the cell division process. Tumor cells, which reproduce at high speed, are affected and destroyed. But as the action is not entirely selective, other normal (healthy) cells are also affected and their destruction is the cause of many of the side effects.
Side effects of chemotherapy in children and adults
The side effects are very similar, although the impact is somewhat different. In general, children tolerate chemotherapy better than adults and recover better from its side effects.
In contrast, long-term side effects have a higher risk of fertility impairment, delays in cognitive development or growth problems.
Treatment of chemotherapy side effects
Most of the side effects of chemotherapy go away over time. Some of them can be significantly alleviated with proper treatment, so it is advisable to consult a specialist, a home doctor for example, who can help you in this regard. It is also important to follow a series of tips that can make it easier to tolerate the toxicity.
Are there side effects of chemotherapy in the long term?
Long-term side effects of chemotherapy are in the minority; however, there are some that will persist for weeks, months or years. In that case an individualized assessment of the potential long-term impact of toxicity and its symptomatic treatment is necessary.