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Side effects happen because
these cancer treatments destroy cancer cells as well as normal healthy
cells. Side effects depend on the type of cancer and the treatment.
Many people taking radiation therapy or chemotherapy may have side
effects. Usually the benefits of these treatments outweigh the side
effects suffered by the patient. Newer generation chemotherapy sometimes
have much less side effects. For example, some chemotherapy drugs
do not cause hair loss, nausea or vomitting.
Common side effects of radiation
therapy and chemotherapy are
· feeling tired and
weak
· loss of appetite
· vomiting (throwing up)
· loss of weight
· depression - feeling sad a lot of the time
· having a fever
· temporary hair loss
Most side effects usually go away when treatment ends. Rarely, some
side effects may be permanent.
The Side Effects of Radiation Therapy depend mostly on the
amount of radiation and the part of the body that is treated. In
radiation therapy,
· reddening of skin
in the area where radiation is aimed
· hair in the area receiving radiation may fall off.
· nausea or vomitting, diarrhoea, or a loss of appetite may
occur if the radiation is aimed at the stomach.
· a sore throat, headaches, difficulty swallowing, loss of
appetite, loss of taste, or a changed sense of smell may develop
if radiation is aimed at the head or neck
Other Side Effects of Chemotherapy may include:
· sores on the tongue,
gums, or inside the cheeks
· anaemia and infections due to lower blood counts. The bone
marrow, the innermost part of the bone becomes affected and cannot
produce as many blood cells as usual. For a while, the patient has
fewer red blood cells, white
blood cells, and platelets (say:
PLAYT-lets). These cells would recover over time.
ABCs
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