Chemotherapy Side Effects

What are side effects?

Side effects are problems caused by cancer treatment. Some common side effects from chemotherapy are fatigue, nausea, vomiting, decreased blood cell counts, hair loss, mouth sores, and pain.




What causes side effects?

 Chemotherapy is designed to kill fast-growing cancer cells. But it can also affect healthy cells that grow quickly. These include cells that line your mouth and intestines, cells in your bone marrow that make blood cells, and cells that make your hair grow. Chemotherapy causes side effects when it harms these healthy cells.

Will I get side effects from chemotherapy?

You may have a lot of side effects, some, or none at all. This depends on the type and amount of chemotherapy you get and how your body reacts. Before you start chemotherapy, talk with your doctor or nurse about which side effects to expect.

How long do side effects last?

How long side effects last depends on your health and the kind of chemotherapy you get. Most side effects go away after chemotherapy is over. But sometimes it can take months or even years for them to go away.

Sometimes, chemotherapy causes long-term side effects that do not go away. These may include damage to your heart, lungs, nerves, kidneys, or reproductive organs. Some types of chemotherapy may cause a second cancer years later. Ask your doctor or nurse about your chance of having long-term side effects.  

What can be done about side effects?

Doctors have many ways to prevent or treat chemotherapy side effects and help you heal after each treatment session. Talk with your doctor or nurse about which ones to expect and what to do about them. Make sure to let your doctor or nurse know about any changes you notice - they may be signs of a side effect.
 

Types of CANCER Treatment

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy and You: Support for People With Cancer

Information about what to expect during chemotherapy and what patients can do to take care of themselves during and after treatment.

Chemotherapy Side Effects Fact Sheets

Chemotherapy fact sheets with clear medical advice from doctors and nurses, and practical tips from patients to help you manage side effects.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation Therapy for Cancer

A fact sheet that defines the different types of radiation therapy and discusses scientific advances that improve the effectiveness of this treatment.

Proton Therapy for Cancer: A New Technology Brief

Discussion of how proton therapy works, some limits of the current knowledge base about its use, and directions for additional research.

Radiation Therapy and You: Support for People With Cancer

Information about what to expect during radiation therapy, including the general effects of treatment and how to deal with specific side effects.

What To Know About Brachytherapy (A Type of Internal Radiation Therapy)

An easy-to-read fact sheet that helps radiation therapy patients understand brachytherapy, a type of internal radiation therapy.

What To Know About External Beam Radiation Therapy

An easy-to-read fact sheet that helps radiation therapy patients understand external beam radiation therapy.

Radiation Therapy Side Effects Fact Sheets

Radiation therapy fact sheets that help patients understand their treatment and manage side effects. The fact sheets (also available in audio) have patient testimonials, tips from healthcare providers, and questions to ask providers.

Radiation Therapy and Side Effects - Audio Files

A list of a series of audio interviews on topics related to side effects of radiation therapy.

Surgery

Cryosurgery in Cancer Treatment: Questions and Answers

A fact sheet that describes cryosurgery, the technique of using extreme cold to treat tumors. Lists the indications, risks, benefits, and side effects of cryotherapy.

Other Treatment Methods

Angiogenesis Inhibitors Therapy

A fact sheet that describes the process of eliminating the blood supply to tumors. Lists the cancers in which this approach is being tested.

Biological Therapies for Cancer: Questions and Answers

A fact sheet that provides an overview of how the immune system functions and describes the actions of biological therapies.

Biological Therapy

An introduction to biological therapy to help patients prepare to receive it for cancer treatment or managing side effects.

Bone Marrow Transplantation and Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation

A fact sheet that explains the step-by-step procedures of two types of transplantations used with high-dose chemotherapy, including their risks and benefits.

Gene Therapy for Cancer: Questions and Answers

A fact sheet that discusses research with genetic material in developing cancer therapies, including risks, benefits, and ethical issues.

Hyperthermia in Cancer Treatment: Questions and Answers

A fact sheet that defines hyperthermia (treating tumors with heat) and its side effects.

Lasers in Cancer Treatment: Questions and Answers

A fact sheet that describes use of high-intensity light in cancer treatment, its advantages and disadvantages, and types of procedures that use it.

Photodynamic Therapy for Cancer

A fact sheet that explains photodynamic therapy, how it is administered, and indications and side effects of treatment.

Targeted Cancer Therapies

This NCI fact sheet describes targeted cancer therapies, which are drugs that block the growth and spread of cancer by interfering with specific molecules involved in carcinogenesis (the process by which normal cells are transformed into cancer cells) and tumor growth.

Health Benefits of Dates

Dates can provide lot of health benefits. Dates are high in iron content and fluorine. Dates are rich source of vitamins and minerals.  Consuming dates regularly can help to lower cholesterol and keep many health disorders away. Read on to know more about the top 10 benefits of consuming dates.

The health benefits of dates are innumerable. It is, in fact, a dry fruit that is sweet in taste and is rich in minerals and vitamins. The cultivation of dates can be traced back many years in history.


Health Benefits of Consuming Dates

1. Dates are free from cholesterol and contain very low fat. Dates are rich in vitamins and minerals.

2. They are rich source of protein, dietary fiber and rich in vitamin B1, B2, B3 and B5 along with vitamin A1 and C.

3. It helps improve the digestive system as it contains soluble and insoluble fibers and different kinds of amino acids.

4. Dates are great energy boosters as they contain natural sugars like glucose, sucrose and fructose. To get more advantage add dates to milk and make it a very nutritious snack. Dates are very low in calories and are extremely suitable for health conscious people. 

5. Dates are rich in potassium and reduced in sodium. This helps regulate a healthy nervous system. Researches have revealed the fact that potassium intake up to a certain extent can reduce risk of stroke. Dates also help in lowering of the LDL cholesterol. 

6. Dates have high iron content and are very useful in treating anemia. The patients can eat many dates for better advantages. Dates also have fluorine that slows down the process of tooth decay. 

7. It helps people suffering from constipation. Soak dates overnight and take it along with water to have added advantage. 

8. It helps increase one’s sexual stamina. Soak one handful of dates in goat’s milk overnight. In the morning grind the dates in the milk and add honey and cardamom powder and drink it. 

9. Dates help in weight gain and are beneficial for those who suffer from over slimming problem. Dates are excellent for alcoholic intoxication

10. Cures abdominal cancer. The best thing is that it does not have any side effect on the body and is completely natural as well as it works better than medicine. It also helps in improving eye sight and helps in curing night blindness as well. 

Dates can be chipped and sprinkled on sweet dishes, cakes and puddings and this enhances the state of the dish too. Selection of dates is very easy and you can have good ones if they appear fleshy and evenly coloured. Make sure there is no artificial sugar coating. Wash the dates properly before you eat because dust accumulates on the dates easily. In addition to all these, storing dates is not a big deal. They are dry fruits and so you do not have to face hassles to store them.

Dates can be introduced in daily diet in any form. You can introduce it in the form of snacks. Adding dates in any form makes the food tasty and healthy too. It fills anyone with energy no matter how tired he is. Keeping in mind the health benefits of dates, one should take utmost care while choosing the right quality of dates.

Do not forget to wash the dates thoroughly so that the dust is cleaned properly before consumption. Buy and consume only those dates that are properly packed and processed. No matter how beneficial eatables are, you need to take care while choosing them and so go for the good ones even if you have to pay a little bit more for that.