The Effects of Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy refers to the treatment of a disease by means of chemicals meant to kill cells, typically cells of micro-organisms or cancer. This treatment works by attacking and killing cells which divide very quickly as cancer cells do. Unfortunately, chemotherapy damages cells that have a rapid division process which is normal for the body functions; this is the case with the cells in the digestive tract, hair follicles and bone marrow. Hence, the chemotherapy effects usually damage these areas. The most common side effects that occur during and after chemotherapy include myelosuppresion – decrease in the production of blood cells, mucositis – inflammation of the lining of the digestive tract, and alopecia – hair loss.

Chemotherapy effects or side effects can be divided into two major groups as short and long term. Side effects of chemotherapy represent unwanted symptoms which occur as a direct result of taking a drug. It is not difficult to confuse drug side effects with symptoms of cancer. Symptoms are specific to the disease in fact, while the side effects represent natural adverse reactions to a powerful external intervention in the body. Anyway, various chemotherapy drugs have different short term and long term side effects; not all chemotherapy drugs lead to every side effect.

Generally speaking, chemotherapy harms those cells that divide at a quicker pace as we have already mentioned. The mouth, intestines, skin, hair, bone marrow (the spongy material that fills your bones and produces new blood cells) are mainly affected by chemotherapy. Since hair is growing all the time, the skin is constantly renewing itself and the lining of the mouth and digestive system have the same dynamics, the cells of all these body tissues must constantly divide to produce a steady supply of new cells. And, unfortunately, when cells are dividing, chemotherapy drugs attack them.

It is known that most drugs used in chemotherapy have side effects, yet, not all the patients get the same chemotherapy effects. The intensity of the experience, and their evolution during the treatment depend on many various factors. These elements include the period during which the drug has been taken, the dose or amount of drug, how the drug is administered, the patient’s general health state, as well as the combination of the chemotherapy drug with other medicines. Some chemotherapy effects are serious medical conditions which must be dealt with; others, although upsetting, are not necessarily damaging to the patient’s health. It is also important to discuss the effects of chemotherapy with the doctor and the contact person at the treating center where the patient is given the treatment.

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