What Are the Possible Side Effects of Chemotherapy?
Although chemotherapy is given to kill cancer cells, it also can damage normal cells. The normal cells most likely to be damaged are those that divide rapidly: • bone marrow/blood cells • cells of hair follicles • cells lining the digestive tract • cells lining the reproductive tract Damage to these cells accounts for many of the side effects of chemotherapy drugs. Side effects are different for each chemotherapy drug, and they also differ based on the dose, the route the drug is given, and how the drug affects you individually. If after reading this section you want more information about managing the side effects of chemotherapy, please call the American Cancer Society at 1-800-ACS-2345 and ask for the booklet, Understanding Chemotherapy: A Guide for Patients and their Families. Bone marrow suppression The bone marrow is the thick liquid in the inner part of some bones that produces white blood cells (WBCs), red blood cells (RBCs), and blood platelets. One of the most common side eff
