Because cancer treatment may damage healthy cells and tissues, unwanted side effects are common. Specific side effects depend on many factors, including the type and extent of the treatment. Side effects may not be the same for each person, and they may even change from one treatment session to the next. Before treatment starts, health care providers will explain possible side effects and suggest ways to manage them. For additional information, please read the Chemotherapy and Cancer Treatment, Coping With Side Effects article.
Chemotherapy
The side effects of chemotherapy depend mainly on the specific drugs and the dose. In general, anticancer drugs affect cells that divide rapidly, especially leukemia cells. Chemotherapy can also affect other rapidly dividing cells:
- Blood cells: These cells fight infection, help the blood to clot, and carry oxygen to all parts of the body. When blood cells are affected, patients are more likely to get infections, may bruise or bleed easily, and may feel very weak and tired.
- Cells in hair roots: Chemotherapy can lead to hair loss. The hair grows back, but the new hair may be somewhat different in color and texture.
- Cells that line the digestive tract: Chemotherapy can cause mouth and lip sores, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, and poor appetite. Many of these side effects can be controlled with drugs.
Some anticancer drugs can affect a patient's fertility. Women may have irregular menstrual periods or periods may stop altogether. Women may have symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes and vaginal dryness. Men may stop producing sperm. Because these changes may be permanent, some men have their sperm frozen and stored before treatment. Most children treated for leukemia appear to have normal fertility when they grow up. However, depending on the drugs and doses used and the age of the patient, some boys and girls may be infertile when they mature.
Because targeted therapy (sometimes used for chronic myeloid leukemia) affects only leukemia cells, it causes fewer side effects than most other anticancer drugs. However, Gleevec may cause patients to retain water. This may cause swelling or bloating.
Biological therapy
The side effects of biological therapy differ with the types of substances used, and from patient to patient. Rashes or swelling where the biological therapy is injected are common. Flu-like symptoms also may occur. The health care team may monitor the blood for signs of anemia and other problems.
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy may cause patients to become very tired as treatment continues. Resting is important, but doctors usually advise patients to try to stay as active as they can. In addition, when patients receive radiation therapy, it is common for their skin to become red, dry, and tender in the treated area. Other side effects depend on the area of the body that is treated. If chemotherapy is given at the same time, the side effects may be worse. The doctor can suggest ways to ease these problems.
Stem cell transplantation
Patients who have stem cell transplantation face an increased risk of infection, bleeding, and other side effects because of the large doses of chemotherapy and radiation they receive. In addition, graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) may occur in patients who receive stem cells from a donor's bone marrow. In GVHD, the donated stem cells react against the patient's tissues. Most often, the liver, skin, or digestive tract is affected. GVHD can be mild or very severe. It can occur any time after the transplant, even years later. Steroids or other drugs may help.
The NCI offers a fact sheet called "Questions and Answers About Bone Marrow Transplantation and Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation." It is available on the Internet at http://cancer.gov/publications. Also, information specialists at the NCI's Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER can send this fact sheet and answer questions about stem cell transplantation.
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