An important step in managing your cancer
and its treatment is to be informed. Cancer is a
complex and challenging disease that is treated
in many different ways. The more you know
about your specific cancer diagnosis, treatment
options and possible side effects, the easier it will be to talk
with your health care team to determine the best treatment
plan for you. Before making a decision about your
treatment, it is helpful to know what the common short
and long-term side effects are and how to manage them.
Everyone experiences treatment and side effects differently,
but it can help to feel prepared.
There are different types of cancer treatment.
You may have one or more of these treatments:
Cancer treatment can affect us in many different ways we didn't expect;
Research indicates the most common side effects people experience due to cancer and cancer treatment include: fatigue, hair loss, anemia, gastrointestinal problems (like nausea or changes in your bowel habits), pain, and infection, among others. Emotional distress
Possible side effects
(Taken from; Macmillan fact sheet 2013: Side effects of cancer treatment)
Risk of infection
Chemotherapy and some targeted therapies can reduce the number of white blood cells in your blood. This will make you more likely to get an infection. When your white blood cells are low, it’s called neutropenia. You are most likely to get an infection 7–14 days after treatment. This can vary depending upon the drug, or combination of drugs, used.
Contact the hospital straight away on the contact number you’ve been given if:
Radiotherapy often has a mild and temporary effect on the white blood cells.
Surgery can also make you more likely to get an infection, often at the wound site.
This is because it causes a break in the skin. The skin is part of the body’s natural
If your doctor thinks you have an infection you may need antibiotics. You may have
antibiotics by mouth or as an injection through a short thin tube into a vein in your
arm or hand (cannula).
Anaemia (low red blood cells)
Chemotherapy, targeted therapies, radiotherapy and sometimes surgery can reduce the number of red cells in your blood. These cells carry oxygen around the body. If they are low, you may be tired and breathless.
Some chemotherapy drugs can make the hair on your head fall out or thin. This usually starts after your first or second cycle of chemotherapy. Your eyelashes, eyebrows and other body hair may also fall out or thin. After chemotherapy your hair will start to grow again.
Radiotherapy causes hair loss only in the area of the body that was treated. The hair should grow back after your treatment. But this will depend on the dose of radiotherapy you’ve had.
Some hormonal therapies can also affect your hair.
It can be very upsetting to lose your hair. But your hair will usually grow back after treatment. Your nurse can give you advice about coping with hair loss.
Chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery, targeted therapies and hormonal therapies can all cause you to feel very tired. It’s often worse towards the end of treatment and for some weeks or months after.
Feeling sick (nausea) or being sick (vomiting)
Chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapies and hormonal therapies can all make you feel sick (nausea) or be sick (vomit).
Radiotherapy to the pelvis or chemotherapy and targeted therapies can cause diarrhoea. Some medicines such as antibiotics can also cause diarrhoea.
Chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapies and hormonal therapies can cause skin problems. Depending on your treatment and how you react to it, you may experience some of the following symptoms:
Dry or discoloured skin (caused by chemotherapy)
Rashes or itching (caused by some targeted and hormonal therapies)
Sore skin on the palms of your hands and the soles of your feet (caused by some chemotherapy drugs and targeted therapies)
Some treatments for certain cancers can cause hormonal symptoms. For example, you may have surgery and radiotherapy to the pelvic area that may affect organs that produce hormones. Some chemotherapy and hormonal therapies may also cause
Symptoms can include:
It is important to mention any side effect you have to your doctor or nurse. They can give advice.
We suggest the brochure from Frankly Speaking about Cancer maybe helpful,
please click the link below.