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TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF COMMON SIDE EFFECTS OF CANCER TREATMENT

What causes the side effects from chemotherapy treatments?

Because cancer cells grow and divide more rapidly than normal cells, many chemotherapy drugs are made to kill growing

cells. But certain normal, healthy cells also grow quickly and chemotherapy can affect these cells, causing side effects.

The fast-growing normal cells most likely to be affected are blood cells formed in the bone marrow and cells in the digestive

system (mouth, stomach, intestines, esophagus), reproductive system (sex organs) and the hair. Some chemotherapy

drugs may affect the cells in the heart, kidney, bladder, lungs and nervous system.

You may have none of these side effects or just a few. The kind of side effects you have and how bad they are depends

on the type and dose of chemotherapy you get and how your body reacts. Your doctor or nurse will talk about the side

effects you may have with the drugs you will be taking.

How long will the side effects last?

Normal cells usually recover when chemotherapy is over, so most side effects gradually go away after treatment ends, and

the healthy cells have a chance to grow normally. The time it takes to recover from side effects depends on many things,

including your overall health and the kind of chemotherapy you have been taking.

New therapies have been developed to help control the side effects of chemotherapy. Some of the newer medications

used to treat cancer do not cause as much harm to normal cells. Sometimes people receiving chemotherapy become

discouraged about the side effects they may be having. If that happens to you, talk with your doctor or the nursing staff.

They may be able to suggest ways to make the side effects easier to deal with or reduce them.

Coping with side effects from radiation therapy

The side effects from radiation therapy vary from patient to patient. You may have no side effects or only a few mild ones

through your course of treatment. However, some people do have serious side effects from treatment, depending mostly

on the radiation dose and the part of your body treated. Your general health also can affect how your body reacts to

radiation therapy and whether you have side effects. Before beginning treatment, your doctor or nurse will talk with you

about the side effects you might experience and ways to treat them.

Like side effects from chemotherapy, most side effects from radiation will go away a few weeks after the completion of

treatment. If you begin to have side effects, please talk with your nurse or doctor as they will have ways to help you deal

with them.

Common side effects and tips for treating them

Fatigue

Fatigue - feeling tired and lacking energy - is the most common symptom reported by cancer patients. The exact cause

is not known; it can be due to many things. Fatigue from cancer is different from fatigue of everyday life in that it can

appear suddenly. Not everyone feels the same kind of fatigue. It can last days, weeks or months but will gradually go

away as the tumor responds to treatment.

TAB FOUR | TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF patient guide