What is Chemotherapy?

Chemotherapy is a treatment used to kill cancer cells. It involves taking medicines that are toxic to fast-growing cells like cancer cells.

Chemotherapy is used to treat cancer. The goal is to reduce the number of cancer cells or decrease the size of tumors.

Side Effects

Many types of chemotherapy drugs not only damage the cancer cells but can also damage some of your normal cells. This can create side effects. Side effects will vary between chemotherapy treatments. Your doctor will review a list of possible complications for your treatment type. Some side effects of chemotherapy include:

• Nausea and/or vomiting

• Diarrhea or constipation

• Appetite loss

• Hair loss

• Low red blood cell count ( Anemia )

• Weakened immune system and increased susceptibility to infection

• Fatigue

• Easy bruising and/or bleeding

• Mouth sores

• Persistent numbness and tingling sensation in the hands and/or feet, or weakness due to nerve damage

• Kidney damage

• Damage to the heart muscle

• Infertility

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