Chemotherapy is medicine that travels through the entire body to kill fast-growing cancer cells. It is often used to treat breast cancer. However, the chemotherapy drugs also kill healthy cells, including those in the digestive system, hair, skin and bone marrow. The killing of healthy cells can result in side effects that impact physical appearance and general health.
Types
The side effects of chemotherapy for breast cancer may be temporary and resolve shortly after treatment, or may be long term and persist or not even develop until years after cessation of chemotherapy.
Hair loss
Hair loss is a temporary side effect of chemotherapy that results from the death of the fast-growing cells in the hair follicles.
Mouth Sores
Because the cells inside of the mouth grow rapidly, they may be damaged by chemotherapy and develop raw, open, bloody or oozing sores.
Nausea
Loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting are temporary side effects of chemotherapy for breast cancer. These side effects usually go away after treatment ends.
Liver Damage
Liver damage is a long-term effect of chemotherapy for breast cancer caused by toxic effects of the drugs on the liver.
Immune Suppression
Chemotherapy for breast cancer can lower production of infection-fighting white blood cells, resulting in suppression of the body's immune system and increasing the risk of infections.
Other Cancers
Chemotherapy can cause the development of leukemia or lymphoma years after treatment for breast cancer due to changes in the bone marrow where blood cells are made.
Tags: breast cancer, side effects, after treatment, , blood cells, bone marrow