What are the side effects of chemotherapy in breast cancer treatment?

What are the side effects of chemotherapy in breast cancer treatment?

Chemotherapy side effects depend on the drugs patients receive and their reaction towards the drugs. Side effects may get worse during the course of treatment, that may be temporary and subside once treatment is finished.

But sometimes chemotherapy can have long-term or permanent side effects.

Breast cancer treatment

Common short-term side effects of chemotherapy Chemotherapy drugs can also damage other fastgrowing healthy cells, in the process of damaging fast growing cancer cells, such as in the digestive tract, hair follicles and bone marrow.

These side effects mostly disappear after treatment is finished or within a period after completing chemotherapy, and some cases they may be long lasting and take time to go away.

It may include: · Fatigue · Loss of appetite · Hair loss or alopecia · Nausea and vomiting · Mouth sores · Constipation or diarrhea · Skin and nail changing ( colour change, peeling, dryness, etc) · Increased risk of developing infections ( decrease in WBCs) · Neuropathy

Long term side effects of chemotherapy Chemotherapy for breast cancer can cause long- term side effects, it includes: · Leukemia – chemotherapy for breast cancer can trigger a secondary cancer, such as cancer of the blood cells, known as leukemia, several years after the chemotherapy is completed. · Heart damage – in chemotherapy there are some drugs with a small risk of weakening the heart muscle and causing other heart related problems. Some chemo medicines are associated with a higher risk of future cardiac problems.

There are some drugs like doxorubicin, epirubicin and some others can cause prema heart damage, known as cardiomyopathy.

Even if a woman’s periods have stopped while she is on chemotherapy, she may still be able to get pregnant.

If a woman gets pregnant during the chemotherapy, that could lead to birth defects and interfere with treatment.

· Bone thinning – women who experience menopause earlier than their age, due to chemotherapy may have a higher risk of the bone thinning conditions like osteoporosis and osteopenia. After chemotherapy, it is generally recommended that these women have periodic bone density tests and, possibly treatments to prevent further bone related issues. · Menstrual cycle changes and Infertility – it is a possible side effect of chemotherapy that may not go away in a woman who is suffering from cancer. There are some chemo drugs that damage the ovaries, which may cause menopause symptoms (hot flashes, vaginal dryness).

Menstrual cycle may become irregular or may stop (Amenorrhea), and if ovulation ceases pregnancy becomes impossible.

· Neuropathy Certain chemo drugs such as taxanes (paclitaxel, docetaxel and protein – bound paclitaxel) platinum agents (cisplatin, carboplatin) can damage nerves in the arms, hands, feets and legs.

This kind of nerve damage can lead to Symptoms on those areas like pain, burning sensation, numbness, sensitivity to heat or cold, tingling sensations or weakness.

In some cases these symptoms go away once the treatment is stopped or completed, but in some women it might last a long time or become permanent.

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