Chemotherapy is now the accepted treatment for cancer patients. This treatment may have adverse side effects but comparing them to its good effects, everyone is considering this treatment to be more of an advantage. There are many side effects that should be expected when one is undergoing chemotherapy. However, the side effects are different per cancer patients. The factors could be the health status of the patient and the type of chemotherapy being administered to different types of cancer.
One of the most common side effects of chemotherapy is hair loss. In a bid to attack the cancer cells, the hair cells will unfortunately be affected as well. This will not only affect the hairs in the scalp but hairs in all over your body. Chemotherapy could even affect the hairs in your skin and even your eyebrows and eyelashes. Usually it will take affect 10 to 14 days after the treatment. However, it will eventually grow back at least four weeks of treatment. At first you would expect some slight changes on your hair such as your hair color and curling on some of the parts of your bodily hair. But eventually it will be back to normal. Be patient and the hair growth rate for patients who have undergone chemotherapy could be at least 1/4 inch every month.
The next side effect that you should expect in chemotherapy is in the drop of white blood cells. This is common to most patients that have been treated with chemotherapy for breast cancer. This could be life threatening as the white blood cells protects the body in various diseases and a simple sickness could develop into something really bad. It’s advised that once a simple infection will appear, a doctor should be alerted as soon as possible for immediate treatment.
Nausea and vomiting should be expected as well after treatment of chemotherapy. The substance in the stomach called histamine will be released in a higher rate and will cause these conditions. However, there are common treatments right now being given to patients who have undergone chemotherapy.
Lastly is the theory of shrinkage of some of the key areas of the brain. It may not be the direct effect of chemotherapy but most cancer patients who have undergone chemotherapy have reported memory loss, inability to concentrate or focus and think clearly. Experts have conducted MRIs on the patients and have reported shrinkage of some parts of the brain. The belief right now is the combined medicine and chemotherapy are the factors of the shrinkage of the brain. However, after one to three years after the treatment, the parts of the brains will naturally go back to its normal size.
Make sure to talk to your doctor before you undergo chemotherapy and ask for its effects. It’s also common practice right now that the doctor will explain to you the stages of chemotherapy and the side effects that you should expect. There may be temporary cures for the side effects that you will experience and lessen the pain.
Disclaimer: this post is an opinion and analysis of Breakthrough Digest, and should in no way be construed to be medical advice.
One of the most common side effects of chemotherapy is hair loss. In a bid to attack the cancer cells, the hair cells will unfortunately be affected as well. This will not only affect the hairs in the scalp but hairs in all over your body. Chemotherapy could even affect the hairs in your skin and even your eyebrows and eyelashes. Usually it will take affect 10 to 14 days after the treatment. However, it will eventually grow back at least four weeks of treatment. At first you would expect some slight changes on your hair such as your hair color and curling on some of the parts of your bodily hair. But eventually it will be back to normal. Be patient and the hair growth rate for patients who have undergone chemotherapy could be at least 1/4 inch every month.
The next side effect that you should expect in chemotherapy is in the drop of white blood cells. This is common to most patients that have been treated with chemotherapy for breast cancer. This could be life threatening as the white blood cells protects the body in various diseases and a simple sickness could develop into something really bad. It’s advised that once a simple infection will appear, a doctor should be alerted as soon as possible for immediate treatment.
Nausea and vomiting should be expected as well after treatment of chemotherapy. The substance in the stomach called histamine will be released in a higher rate and will cause these conditions. However, there are common treatments right now being given to patients who have undergone chemotherapy.
Lastly is the theory of shrinkage of some of the key areas of the brain. It may not be the direct effect of chemotherapy but most cancer patients who have undergone chemotherapy have reported memory loss, inability to concentrate or focus and think clearly. Experts have conducted MRIs on the patients and have reported shrinkage of some parts of the brain. The belief right now is the combined medicine and chemotherapy are the factors of the shrinkage of the brain. However, after one to three years after the treatment, the parts of the brains will naturally go back to its normal size.
Make sure to talk to your doctor before you undergo chemotherapy and ask for its effects. It’s also common practice right now that the doctor will explain to you the stages of chemotherapy and the side effects that you should expect. There may be temporary cures for the side effects that you will experience and lessen the pain.
Disclaimer: this post is an opinion and analysis of Breakthrough Digest, and should in no way be construed to be medical advice.
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