The side effects of chemotherapy depend on the type of
chemotherapy and the amount given. Anticipating and managing
side effects can help to minimize them and provide the best
possible experience for the person receiving chemotherapy. As
each person's individual medical profile and diagnosis is
different, so is his/her reaction to treatment. Side effects may
be severe, mild, or absent. Be sure to discuss with your cancer
care team possible side effects of treatment before the
treatment begins. Because anticancer drugs are made to kill
growing cells, they also affect normal, fast-growing cells such
as blood cells forming in the bone marrow and cells in the
digestive tract (i.e., mouth, stomach, intestines, esophagus),
reproductive system (i.e., sexual organs), and hair follicles.
Some anticancer drugs may affect cells of vital organs, such as
the heart, kidney, bladder, lungs, and nervous system.
Chemotherapy causes no serious long-term problems for most
people. In some cases, however, chemotherapy can cause p