Chemotherapy is one of the most common and proven cancer treatments but its side effects are well known.
According to Health Day, common side effects of chemotherapy include hair loss, nausea, vomiting, mouth sores and fatigue.
The side effects a person with cancer may have are affected by the type of cancer being treated and the chemotherapy drug being used. But a Boston-based cancer specialist told NIH News in Health that there are ways to manage many of them.
"Chemotherapy does work," said Dr. Ting Bao, a cancer specialist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. "There are side effects, but they are becoming more and more manageable."
Chemo uses drugs to kill cancer cells or stop their growth.
Side effects emerge when normal body cells are caught in the crossfire. As NIH explains, your body needs new cells to replace old or damaged ones. Some cells multiply fast, such as those lining the intestines or those involved in hair growth. Chemo drugs can kill these cells, too.
Chemo can also lower the number of white blood cells available to fight off disease, putting patients at increased risk of infection. Some chemo drugs also cause neuropathy that leads to pain, tingling, numbness and balance problems.
As researchers explore new ways to reduce chemo’s side effects, some tools in the present-day arsenal include:
Anti-nausea drugs to help with nausea and vomiting
Dietary changes to manage nausea, fatigue and mouth sores
Exercise and good sleep habits to fight fatigue
Medication to address some kinds of chemo-related pain
Based on a patient’s symptoms, doctors can recommend which strategies might help most.
Meanwhile, researchers are looking for new ways to reduce chemo-related side effects.
Some are investigating whether herbal remedies, like ginger, may help with nausea, the NIH said. Bao is investigating whether acupuncture and yoga may help treat the chemo-induced neuropathy.
"These ancient modalities intrigue me because they don’t have much side effects," she told News in Health. "For acupuncture, the most common side effects are a little bruising and bleeding. And for yoga, joint and muscle pain."
Other researchers are trying to understand the underpinnings of chemo-related neuropathy and testing drug treatments.
