What are the effects of chemotherapy?
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Chemotherapy as the drug-based cancer treatment involves the elimination of the disease by stopping cancer cells from division. Cancer cells divide at an accelerated rate and therefore need to be attacked powerfully in order to stop the invasion. Unfortunately, chemotherapy destroys other cells that have a rapid division process which is normal for the body functions; the bone marrow, the hair follicles and the digestive tract will be the most affected. Hence, these are the anatomical elements most affected by chemotherapy effects. The most frequent adverse reactions that become manifest during and after chemotherapy include hair loss, the inflammation of the soft membranes in the digestive tract or mucositis and the decrease of the blood cells production, called myelosupression.
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.
Chemotherapy effects and adverse reactions also vary from one patient to another. The way one goes through chemotherapy therefore differs immensely, depending on some factors specific to every case. 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 overall health condition, as well as the combined use of chemotherapy medication and other remedies. Some chemotherapy effects represent serious medical conditions which must be dealt with; others, although upsetting, are not necessarily damaging to the patient’s health. It is also relevant to discuss the effects of chemotherapy with the health care provider in order to be aware of what lies ahead and be able to bear the treatment in a good psychological shape.
In reading the article about this subject I hope you have expanded your knowledge.
