Effects Of Chemotherapy

Cancer is a complex disease that can destroy lives. It hurts the patient mentally, physically, and emotionally. A cancer diagnoses can cause many things such as stress, which has been shown to be harmful in long bouts (Whitehead et al., 2013). Before, cancer was treated in ineffective and odd ways (Jones, 1911). Now, with modern medicine, cancer can be fought with a range of life saving treatments. A common treatment option for cancer patients is chemotherapy. Chemotherapy in itself is as intricate as the cancer it treats, and has a few side effects that go along with it. Chemotherapy can be used to (Chemotherapy, 2015; How is Chemotherapy Used, 2016) shrink the size of cancerous tumors and kill cancer cells that are spreading. neoadjuvant
(Chemotherapy, 2015; Chemotherapy, n.d.; How is Chemotherapy Used, 2016) Most side effects of chemotherapy are attributed to the way chemotherapy attacks cancer cells. Chemotherapy works to stop fast growing cells from splitting or reproducing, but the chemotherapy drugs can not tell the difference between healthy cells and cancer cells trying to reproduce. Due to this, tissues with cells that are fast growing and need constant replenishment are damaged. Cells that this commonly happens to are cells in the mouth, digestive tract, reproductive system, bone marrow, skin, nails,and hair follicles. At times chemotherapy can also damage cells in major organs such as the heart, lungs, kidneys, bladder, and the nervous system temporarily, but function will return to normal after treatment ceases.(How is Chemotherapy Used, 2016). Damage to these healthy cells can cause problems such as alopecia, or hair loss, on the head, body, and face and dry, itchy skin. Other possible issues are mouth sores and nausea. This can cause loss of appetite due to sickness, mouth sores, or change in the way things taste to the patient. All of these factors can be controlled with medication (Chemotherapy, 2015), but while most are cosmetic, there are some possibly fatal side effects of chemotherapy. Chemotherapy drugs can slow down or damage the blood cell productions of bone marrow in the body. The production of these blood cells include white blood cells which fight infections in the body, red blood cells which carry oxygen around the body, and platelets which help with clotting in the blood and prevent bleeding. With less of all these blood cells in the body it puts patients undergoing chemotherapy at higher risks for serious infections, blood clots, frequent bruising, and tiredness or breathlessness from lack of oxygen. Tiredness or fatigue is also a common side effect of chemotherapy due to the damage to blood marrow