Side Effects of Cancer Treatment
Cancer treatments are
very powerful. Treatments that remove
or destroy cancer cells are likely to damage healthy cells, too. That's why treatments often cause side effects. This section describes some of the side
effects of each kind of treatment.
Side effects may not
be the same for each person, and they may even change from one treatment
session to the next. Before treatment
starts, your health care team will explain possible side effects and how they
can be managed. It may help to know
that although some side effects may not go away completely, most of them become
less troubling.
It may also help to
talk with other patients. A social
worker, nurse, or other member of the medical team can set up a visit with
someone who has had the same treatment.
The NCI provides
helpful booklets about cancer treatments and coping with side effects, such as
Radiation Therapy and You and
Eating Hints for Cancer Patients.
See the “National Cancer Institute Information Resources” and
“National Cancer Institute Booklets” sections for other
sources of information about side effects.
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