Side Effects of Treatment
Anticancer Drug Therapy
Stem Cell Transplantation
Radiation Therapy
Because cancer treatment often damages healthy cells and tissues, unwanted side
effects are common. Side effects depend mainly on the type and extent of the
treatment. Side effects may not be the same for each person, and they may
change from one treatment session to the next. Before treatment starts, your
health care team will explain possible side effects and suggest ways to help
you manage them.
The NCI provides helpful booklets about cancer treatments and coping with side
effects, such as Chemotherapy and You,
Radiation Therapy and You,
and Eating Hints for Cancer Patients.
The side effects of anticancer drugs depend mainly on the specific drugs and
the dose. The drugs affect cancer cells and other cells that divide rapidly:
-
Blood cells: When drugs affect your healthy blood cells, you are more
likely to get infections, bruise or bleed easily, and feel very weak and tired.
-
Cells in hair roots: Anticancer drugs can cause you to lose your hair.
The hair will grow back, but it may be somewhat different in color and texture.
-
Cells that line the
digestive tract:
Anticancer drugs can cause poor
appetite, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, or mouth and lip sores.
The drugs used for myeloma also may cause skin rash, blisters, cramps, blurred
vision, lung problems, headache, dizziness, drowsiness, numbness or tingling in
hands or feet, and blood clots.
Your doctor can suggest ways to control many of these side effects.
People who have stem cell transplantation face an increased risk of infection,
bleeding, and other side effects because of the large doses of chemotherapy or
radiation they receive. In addition,
graft-versus-host disease
(GVHD) may occur
in people who receive stem cells from a donor. In GVHD, the donated stem cells
react against the patient's tissues. Most often, GVHD affects the liver, skin,
or digestive tract. GVHD can be serious. It can occur any time after the
transplant, even years later. Steroids or other drugs may help treat or control
GVHD.
The NCI offers a fact sheet called
"Bone Marrow Transplantation and Peripheral
Blood Stem Cell Transplantation: Questions and Answers." You can read it on the
Internet at http://www.cancer.gov/publications. Also, Information Specialists
at the NCI's Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER can send you this
fact sheet and answer questions about stem cell transplantation.
The side effects of radiation therapy depend mainly on the dose of radiation
and the part of the body that is treated. For example, your skin in the treated
area may become red, dry, and tender. You also may lose your hair in the
treated area.
You are likely to become very tired during radiation therapy, especially in the
later weeks of treatment. Resting is important, but doctors usually advise
patients to try to stay as active as they can.
Although the side effects of radiation therapy can be distressing, your doctor
can usually relieve them.
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