What Are the Side Effects of Anti-cancer Drugs?

Some of the more common side effects are:

• Temporary hair loss
• Nausea, vomiting
• Loss of appetite
• Constipation or diarrhea
• Mouth soreness
• Changes in sexual organs
• Tiredness
• Low blood counts causing an increased susceptibility for infection or anemia

Note that each chemotherapy agent or regimen has some side effects that are specific to it. Also the actual side effects experienced may vary a great deal from patient to patient.

The good news about these side effects is that there are ways to ease most of the symptoms. Sometimes, however, certain side effects can have long lasting or permanent effects. For example, certain chemotherapy drugs can result in infertility or the inability to father a child which may be permanent. Certain options such as sperm banking may be available, please talk to your doctor regarding these concerns before starting chemotherapy.

When to call your doctor:

The symptoms you should report to your doctor:

• Temperature taken in the mouth over 100.4 degrees
• Chills
• Persistent cough
• Easy bruising or bleeding
• Severe headache or stiff neck
• Burning or pain with urination
• Mouth or lip sores
• Severe shortness of breath
• Weight loss of over 5 pounds
• Cannot eat or drink for 12 hours
• Vomiting three times an hour for 3 or more hours
• Cannot take your medication because you are sick to your stomach
• Six or more loose, watery bowel movements in 24 hours
• Blood on the toilet tissue or in the toilet bowl water
• Or any symptom your nurse or doctor told you to report