Chemotherapy is a treatment involving powerful medicines to treat cancer, but it comes with a range of adverse effects, including nausea, hair loss, mouth ulcers, extreme fatigue, and nausea.
A Boston-based cancer specialist told NIH News in Health that there are ways to manage these effects.
A cancer specialist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston Dr. Ting Bao stated, "Chemotherapy does work. There are side effects, but they are becoming more and more manageable."
Notably, a patient undergoing chemotherapy often experiences side effects when normal body cells are caught in the crossfire. According to the NIH, your body needs new cells to replace old or damaged ones. Some cells have a tendency to multiply rapidly, such as those lining the intestines or those involved in hair growth. Chemo drugs can even kill those cells too.
Moreover, it significantly reduces the number of white blood cells that work as defense systems, increasing the risks of inflammation. Some chemo drugs also cause neuropathy that leads to pain, tingling, numbness and balance problems.
Scientists explored some effective ways to prevent the side effects caused by chemotherapy.
- Anti-nausea drugs to assist with nausea and vomiting
- Dietary changes to manage nausea, fatigue and mouth ulcers
- Physical activity and improved sleep habits to fight fatigue
- Drugs to reduce chemo-related pain
Based on a patient’s symptoms, doctors can recommend which strategies might help most.
Meanwhile, researchers are finding some ways to reduce chemo-related side effects.
While discussing the use of herbal remedies such as ginger, a researcher stated, "These ancient modalities intrigue me because they don’t have much side effects. For acupuncture, the most common side effects are a little bruising and bleeding. And for yoga, joint and muscle pain."
