What are the short-term and long-term side effects of the treatment(s)?
Different drugs cause different side effects and not everyone will experience all side effects. It is important that you discuss potential side effects of your specific treatment drugs with your doctor or nurse. Some common short term side effects of chemotherapy include: • Nausea and vomiting • Diarrhoea • Hair loss • Mouth ulcers • Tiredness which may get worse through treatment and may continue for a period after treatment. Short term side effects of hormonal therapies are similar to symptoms experienced by women who are going through the menopause such as hot flushes, night sweats, vaginal dryness or discharge, irregular periods, lighter periods or stoppage of periods. Joint pain is a common side effect of the aromatase inhibitors.There are a number of potential long term side effects that are specific to each treatment: • Radiotherapy: Fibrosis or scarring of the remaining breast tissue may occur following radiotherapy. If severe the breast can become noticeably smaller as well as
