Chemotherapy Effects Long Side Term

Does anyone have long term effects of chemotherapy?

Chemotherapy drugs are toxic to normal cells and cancer cells. A dose that will destroy cancer cells may cause damage to some normal cells. Doctors adjusted the doses to the least possible harm to normal cells. Some patients feel little or no side effects, and some may have more serious side effects. In some cases, a dose adjustment is all that is needed to reduce or stop a side effect.

Some chemotherapy drugs have more side effects than others. Some of the most common side effects are:

* Nausea and vomiting
* Loss of appetite
hair loss *
* Anemia and fatigue
* Infection
* Easy bleeding or bruising
* Sores in the mouth and throat
* Neuropathy and other damage to the nervous system
kidney damage *

Nausea and vomiting are common, but can usually be controlled by taking anti-nausea drugs, drinking enough fluids, and avoiding spicy foods. Loss of appetite may be due to nausea or forced to undergo cancer treatment.

Some chemotherapy drugs cause hair loss, but it is almost always temporary. side effects of chemotherapy as above may continue for about 4-6 months in the normal course. Much depends on the type of drug, dosage given and the stage of disease and the recovery thereof. In some cases the most serious side effects, even continue for approximately one year. But usually patients can expect 6 months to normal, including hair growth. -

I worked with patients chemo a few years back, one thing I remember is that when all the hair fell out .... there was sometimes a different color back ... interesting.

Please see the web pages for more details on cancer chemotherapy.

Here are a few that I saw in the family - all survivors of cancer long. BTW, not everyone has lost all his hair.

Hair grows back in a different color or texture - or not at all. (Actor Evan Handler was not bald before he has survived leukemia, he writes in "My Time on the fire.")

body hair fails to return, or a different color. The most disturbing when it's pubic hair and eyebrows.

minor balance problems that disappeared gradually, over a year.

Depression, but it is impossible to pin that on chemotherapy alone. (It happened to the same person with the problem of balance, suggesting the doctor that there had been minor brain damage.)

Change in approach at implementation.

Weakness on one side of the body without muscle atrophy. (They are left with physical therapy.)

On the whole, better to have side effects and live, right?

I do not know if 5 years is long enough to answer your question but I had chemo. Last 5 years and thanks to God without side effects.

I think it depends on various factors. Each person has a unique way to chemotherapy.
As mentioned above, people tend to lose their hair. However, it is not the case with all individuals and some may experience changes in color and texture of hair. Some can push their hair with different color and texture and some can not.
As a long-term, people may experience a loss of appetite and changes in experience, even in their mode of the intestine. This may make them vulnerable to depression when it is associated with hair loss.
Many people in my department have said they have also lost their way of normal skin. Again, it can help change their image and may predispose to depression and social isolation.

Finally, chemotherapy drugs are inherently immunosuppressive drugs. Thanks to the efficacy, many people vulnerable to pneumonia and other opportunistic infections. It is common in people with leukemia, underwent a bone marrow transplant and treated with chemotherapy. often because of the very natur.