What is Chemotherapy?

Chemotherapy is the use of cancer fighting drugs (cytotoxic) to treat cancer. Different cancers require different drugs or sometimes a combination of several. Chemotherapy can be administered intravenously, as a pill or an injection, depending on the type of drug and circumstances of a patient.

 The purpose of these drugs is to kill the fast-reproducing cancer cells and thus to stop the cancer from growing and spreading.

Chemotherapy is used in four different ways:

to cure the cancer completely
as part of a combination treatment, together with radiotherapy or surgery
to prevent cancer from returning
to relieve cancer symptoms when the cancer is incurable

Chemotherapy Side-effects

 
Chemotherapy is known for having many side-effects. It cannot distinguish between the fast-reproducing cancer cells and some healthy cells in the body. White blood cells protect the body from infection. During chemo, their number decreases and with it the natural immunity towards infections. Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body, and a lower number of them, known as anaemia, leads to fatigue. Platelets are structures in the blood that help stop bleeding. Bruising and bleeding can be a side-effect of chemo as a result.

Chemotherapy also affects hair follicles and the cells lining the stomach, leading to hair loss, vomiting and diarrhoea respectively. 

It is often administered several times over a few weeks or months. This is known as a course of treatment, made up of different cycles. This is done because of the side-effects caused by the treatment and to give the body time to recover the healthy cells affected by the drugs.

Sometimes the side-effects of chemotherapy can prevent the patient from continuing their scheduled treatment or interfere with the dosage. In this case, taking extra steps in order to manage the side-effects can be helpful for the successful and timely completion of the treatment.

What is chemotherapy like?

Not everyone reacts in the same way to chemotherapy. What one person goes through, another may have a completely different experience depending on a number of factors including their age, fitness, treatment length, type of chemotherapy, dosage and even their mind set.

“I took a physical and mental knock. The surgery healed quickly, but chemotherapy is no fun whatsoever. A single dose made it difficult for me to do two things that I'm usually pretty good at - eating and sleeping - and I am in awe of how tough the people are who have to keep going back for dose after dose.”

Todd - Beatson patient

Side-effects of Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy treatment does have side-effects and can damage some healthy cells as well as the cancer cells being treated.

Cancer patients may experience some of these common side effects:

Feeling tired
Feeling sick/unwell
A sore mouth
Risk of infection
Hair loss
Loss of appetite and problems eating

Many of these side effects can be treated or prevented and the majority will stop after treatment takes place.

If you are going through chemotherapy, check out the following:

Tiredness and fatigue from chemotherapy can be managed through moderate exercise, like a walk once a day. Also, making the effort to get enough sleep and go to bed and get up at the same time every day can make a difference.
Sickness can be managed with anti-sickness medicines, which are quite effective. It is also normal not to have an appetite for the first few days after treatment, but it is very important to stay hydrated.
Mouth problems such as a sore or dry mouth, changes to taste and mouth and throat infections can all cause discomfort during treatment. Maintaining good oral hygiene including regular teeth brushing and use of non-alcohol mouthwashes can help alleviate some of the pain and discomfort. Always advise your doctor or nurse practitioner of mouth problems as they can provide advice and prescribe medication to help.
A low count of white blood cells will weaken your immune system, making it prone to infection. To lower the risk of transmitting or getting a virus please get in touch with your clinician for further advice.
Bone health can be affected by cancer treatment so eating a healthy balanced diet rich in calcium and vitamin D can help to keep your bones strong and prevent osteoporosis. Cutting out smoking, reducing alcohol consumption and increasing physical activity can all help improve bone health.
Some drugs can make your hair fall out, so looking into wig options could be a way to manage this distressing side effect. Give our team a call on 0141 301 7439 to find out about our free wig fitting and supply service.

“It was tough going through the chemo regime. But I met loads of great people at the Beatson suffering the same thing as me and we would have a laugh to help us get through it. You just have to make sure you don’t let it get you down – positive thinking has positive results.

Fiona - Beatson patient

Many of these side effects can be treated or prevented and the majority will stop after treatment takes place.

If you are going through chemotherapy, check out these tips.

Find out more about our services at the Beatson Cancer Charity.

How We Help

What is Chemotherapy?