Breast cancer chemotherapy side effects

Side effects are the unwanted effects of any treatment. Chemotherapy drugs kill cells that are dividing. Cancer cells divide more often than normal cells. But some normal body cells divide quickly and so are also affected by chemo. These include your skin, hair, nails, the lining of your digestive system and your blood cells. Unlike cancer cells, these normal body tissues can recover.

Chemotherapy affects different people in different ways. Some people are more affected by side effects than others. Many people lead normal lives during their treatment and can carry on working.

Remember , not all chemotherapy drugs cause the same side effects and some people have very few side effects.
Chemotherapy has some general side effects. The drugs kill cancer cells because they divide quickly. Your blood cells also divide rapidly, so chemotherapy can lower the number of healthy white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets you have.
Here are some of the more serious potential side effects that you will want to be aware of and discuss carefully with your oncologist:
· Chemotherapy can lead to bone loss. Women past menopause do not produce enough hormones to maintain strong bones. Over time, thinning bones may develop into osteoporosis and increase your risk of serious fractures. If you are still pre-menopausal when you begin chemotherapy, your ovaries may stop making hormones, putting your bones at risk. The combination CMF is more likely to stop the ovaries from making hormones compared to treatment that contains Adriamycin.
· The taxanes Taxol and Abraxane can cause more discomfort in the hands and feet from nerve damage than Taxotere. This can be temporary or permanent. Your doctor may refer to this as neuropathy. Lowering the dosage of Abraxane improves the neuropathy in most women.
· Taxotere has also been found to irritate tear ducts and cause excess tearing. If it persists and bothers you, it can usually be treated by inserting tiny silicone tubes into the "pipes" that drain the tears.
· Adriamycin can have a toxic effect on the heart; your doctor will work to minimize this risk by carefully keeping your total drug dosage within a safe range. Read an article about other chemotherapy drugs that may have greater benefits for women with early-stage cancer.
· In very rare cases, cyclophosphamide (brand name: Cytoxan) may cause a treatment-induced leukemia (cancer of the blood cells).
Tiredness or fatigue is now the most common side effect for people having chemotherapy. Other side effects of chemotherapy can also include :
Feeling sick (nausea) and being sick
Hair loss or thinning
Sore mouth
Diarrhoea
Changes to your periods (menstrual cycle)
Sore eyes - they may feel as if they have grit in them. Let your doctor know, as eyedrops can help.
Even some 'over the counter' medicines, herbal medicines or complementary therapies may be harmful to take with chemotherapy.
Sometimes chemotherapy causes long term side effects. You will probably feel tired for some time after your treatment has finished. If you had not had your menopause before you had breast cancer, you need to know that chemotherapy can affect your ability to get pregnant. If you are still having periods, they may stop when you have chemotherapy. Your periods may start again 6 months to a year after your treatment finishes. You can also ask your doctor or nurse if you can meet other patients who've had chemo for breast cancer.