Chemotherapy Side Effects
Scientists have made a great deal of progress in developing
therapies to help manage the side effects of chemotherapy. Newer
cancer treatments and supportive care treatments have led to vast improvements in the management of
symptoms associated with cancer treatment. Although chemotherapy is designed to treat cancer cells,
unfortunately, it often affects parts of your body not directly affected by the
cancer itself. This undesired result is referred to as a complication of treatment,
or a side effect.1
Some people don't experience side
effects at all, and you are unlikely to experience all the side effects you read
about below. There is no way to tell who will experience side effects or which side effects they may experience.
Side effects may be acute (short-term), chronic (long-term), or permanent. Side effects may cause inconvenience, discomfort, serious illness and even death.2,3
Additionally, certain side effects may prevent doctors from delivering the
prescribed dose of chemotherapy at the specific time and schedule of the
treatment plan.4-6
Side effects from chemotherapy can include pain, diarrhea, constipation, mouth sores, hair loss, nausea and vomiting, and blood-related side effects.1 In this section, you can learn more about the importance of diagnosing and monitoring blood-related side effects. These may include low infection-fighting white blood cells count (neutropenia), low red blood cells count (anemia), and low platelets count (thrombocytopenia).1
CBC and Related Chemotherapy Side Effects
The CBC, or complete blood count, helps your doctor look for side effects of
chemotherapy, which may include changes in the three types of cells in your blood.
Your blood count can be affected by a variety of conditions. This discussion focuses on the effects of cancer chemotherapy on your blood counts. Because chemotherapy kills fast-growing blood cells as well as cancer cells, side
effects involving your blood are a common result of
chemotherapy.1 Your first step in understanding blood-related side effects is knowing your
CBC, or your complete blood count.
Side effects involving blood include the following:
Neutropenia
Neutropenia (new-troh-PEE-nee-ah) is the scientific name for a low infection-fighting
white blood cell count. Neutropenia can be caused by a variety of conditions, including chemotherapy. A low white blood cell count may leave your body
vulnerable to infection and, since sometimes chemotherapy can cause neutropenia, you may not receive chemotherapy according to your doctors' treatment schedule.1 This could lead your doctor to delay your current treatment or
reduce your doses until your count reaches sufficient levels. Infection can lead to hospitalization.7 Find out more about the risks associated with low white cell blood count.
Anemia
Anemia (ah-NEE-mee-ah) is the scientific name for a low red blood cell count.3
Red blood cells contain hemoglobin (HEE-moh-glow-bin), or Hb, a
protein that carries oxygen from the lungs to the body's muscles and organs.
Oxygen is critical to the health of your tissues and organs.8 If you are diagnosed
with anemia due to cancer chemotherapy, there
are multiple treatment options. Talk to your doctor to learn more.
Thrombocytopenia
Thrombocytopenia (throm-boh-sy-toh-PEE-nee-ah) is the scientific name for a low platelet count.
A low platelet count may cause you to experience bruising or excessive bleeding.3 Learn more about the risks of low platelet count.
All of these side effects may be related to your chemotherapy. All are diagnosed through your CBC test and other factors considered by your doctor. You can monitor your test results to help you understand what steps you and your doctor need to take to help manage your side effects. A journal provides a place for you to keep track of your blood counts throughout your chemotherapy, and is one of the Tools for Organizing Your Cancer Information.
In addition to blood-related side effects, chemotherapy can result in other side effects that can interfere with treatment if not managed properly. Learn more about other types of chemotherapy side effects.
Sometimes side effects signal a serious problem. Find out when to call your doctor about chemotherapy side effects.
1. Chemotherapy and you. National Cancer Institute. Update May 2007. NIH Publication No. 07—7156. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/chemotherapy—and—you.pdf. Accessed June 4, 2010.
2. Nausea and vomiting (PDQ®)—Acute/delayed emesis etiology. National Cancer Institute website. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/supportivecare/nausea/HealthProfessional/ page6. Accessed June 4, 2010.
3. What are the possible side effects of chemotherapy? American Cancer Society website. Updated June 17, 2009. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_1_4X_What_Are_The_Side_Effects
_of_Chemotherapy.asp?sitearea=ETO. Accessed June 4, 2010.
4. Crawford J, Ozer H, Stoller R, et al. N Engl J Med. 1991;325:164—170.
5. Picozzi V, Pohlman B, Morrison V, et al. Patterns of chemotherapy administration in patients
with intermediate-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Oncology. 2001;15:1296—1306.
6. Link B, Budd G T, Scott S, et al. Delivering adjuvant chemotherapy to women with early-
stage breast carcinoma: current patterns of care. Cancer. 2001;92:1354—1367.
7. Dale DC. Drugs. 2002;62(Suppl 1):1—15.
8. Dictionary of cancer terms—definition of hemoglobin. National Cancer Institute website. http://nci.nih.gov/Templates/db_alpha.aspx?CdrID=45108. Accessed June 4, 2010.
Understanding Cancer –
Chemotherapy Side Effects –
Treating Cancer in Other Ways
Tracking Your Test Results –
Understanding Insurance and Tax Issues
Chemotherapy Resources and Organizations –
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Talk to your doctor before you start strong chemotherapy to learn about helping protect against infection, a potential serious side-effect of strong chemotherapy.
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