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There are various side effects of chemotherapy and the complaints can be different for each patient. There are chemotherapy side effects that are felt immediately after each session but are temporary, there are also those that appear later after the entire chemotherapy session is finished.
Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment designed to kill rapidly dividing cancer cells.
Although it can kill, stop the spread, and reduce the symptoms of cancer, chemotherapy can damage the surrounding healthy cells. These healthy cells that are damaged can lead to various side effects.
Various Side Effects of Chemotherapy
Here are some of the most common side effects of chemotherapy:
1. Feeling tired
Similar to the side effects of radiotherapy, chemotherapy can also cause fatigue. Fatigue can occur because the drugs used for chemotherapy can damage the cells in the spinal cord where red blood cells are produced.
The effect is that the production of red blood cells can decrease and the body's organs do not get enough oxygen, which can lead to feeling tired. Not only that, patients are also at risk for anemia.
2. Nausea and vomiting
The next side effects of chemotherapy are nausea and vomiting. Complaints that can occur before, during, or after chemotherapy is done can be triggered by several things.
One of them is a signal from an area of the brain called the chemoreceptor trigger zone (CTZ) which reacts to chemicals in chemotherapy drugs, causing nausea and vomiting. The severity of nausea and vomiting in each patient can be different, depending on the dosage of drugs given.
3. Hair loss
Chemotherapy can cause hair loss, including in the area of the eyelashes, eyebrows, armpits, and pubic. This loss can occur because chemotherapy drugs not only attack cancer cells, but are also possible to attack other cells in the body, including the hair roots.
4. Thrush and sore throat
Chemotherapy also risks damaging healthy cells in the mouth and throat, causing sores in the mouth and throat.
These sores are called mucositis and are characterized by a variety of symptoms, such as pain in the mouth, mouth sores, infection, and bleeding. Mucositis without infection usually resolves on its own within 2-4 weeks.
However, the resulting discomfort can make it difficult for the patient to chew or swallow.
5. Diarrhea
The next side effect of chemotherapy is diarrhea. Diarrhea can occur because the chemotherapy drugs used can damage the healthy cells that line the intestines. Apart from diarrhea, other complaints that may arise related to gastrointestinal health are constipation and flatulence.
To reduce this discomfort, patients are advised to consume enough water every day to avoid dehydration.
6. Decreased body immunity
Chemotherapy can also reduce the body's immunity. The reason is, this treatment can reduce the production of white blood cells which play an important role in fighting infection and preventing various diseases.
In addition to the complaints above, other side effects of chemotherapy that can arise are loss of appetite, weight loss, pain due to nerve damage, impaired concentration, mood changes, to problems with the reproductive system.
These side effects will usually disappear after chemotherapy is finished. However, there are some that only appear months or years after chemotherapy treatment ends.
These late-coming side effects can vary, such as damage to lung tissue, heart problems, infertility, kidney problems, nerve damage, and the risk of getting cancer again.
Chemotherapy drugs have different side effects for each person. To reduce chemotherapy side effects and monitor the risk of side effects that appear late, you need to regularly see a doctor even though your cancer has healed or you are no longer undergoing chemotherapy.
Label : Health
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