Chemotherapy drugs all work differently and have different side effects. Not all women will suffer side effects from chemotherapy. Hair loss alopecia can be one of the most upsetting side effects of chemotherapy.
The Hair loss page contains useful information and strategies on how to deal with hair loss. Nausea and vomiting are common side effects of chemotherapy.
You may be given anti-nausea medication before your chemotherapy to take home with you, in case you need it later. During chemotherapy, women sometimes develop mouth ulcers and changes in taste. Rinsing your mouth regularly with bicarbonate of soda can help to prevent ulcers, even before you begin chemotherapy. Eating soft mints can help get rid of the metallic taste that you may experience. If you have a sore mouth and are not eating properly, chilled drinks such as smoothies from the blender can be good.
Chemotherapy can reduce your oestrogen levels and cause periods to stop, either temporarily or altogether. This is called early menopause. You may experience some of the symptoms of menopause, such as hot flushes and night sweats. You can download or order a copy from our Booklets and fact sheets page. As chemotherapy reduces the level of oestrogen in your body, it can also reduce your bone density and increase your risk of bone fractures. The Bone health page of this website provides more information on how to improve bone health.
Nail changes are a common side effect of some chemotherapy treatments. The Nail changes page provides more information on the changes that may occur to your nails, including what you can do manage nail changes. Fatigue is very common during chemotherapy. Many women describe it as being quite different from normal tiredness. The Fatigue page contains more information on how to manage fatigue.
You can also find more information in our section on physical wellbeing. The most common types are the port and the PICC line. For breast cancer patients, the central line is typically placed on the side opposite of the underarm that had lymph nodes removed for the breast cancer surgery. Chemo is given in cycles, followed by a rest period to give you time to recover from the effects of the drugs.
Cycles are most often 2 or 3 weeks long. The schedule varies depending on the drugs used. For example, with some drugs, the chemo is given only on the first day of the cycle. With others, it is given for a few days in a row, or once a week.
Then, at the end of the cycle, the chemo schedule repeats to start the next cycle. Adjuvant and neoadjuvant chemo is often given for a total of 3 to 6 months, depending on the drugs used. The length of treatment for advanced breast cancer depends on how well it is working and what side effects you have. Doctors have found that giving the cycles of certain chemo drugs closer together can lower the chance that the cancer will come back and improve survival for some women.
For example, a drug that would normally be given every 3 weeks might be given every 2 weeks. This can be done for both neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatment. A chemo combination sometimes given this way is doxorub i cin Adriamycin and cyclophosphamide Cytoxan , followed by weekly paclitaxel Taxol.
Chemo drugs can cause side effects. These depend on the type and dose of drugs given, and the length of treatment. Some of the most common possible side effects include:. These side effects usually go away after treatment is finished. There are often ways to lessen these side effects. For example, drugs can be given to help prevent or reduce nausea and vomiting. Other side effects are also possible.
Some of these are more common with certain chemo drugs. Ask your cancer care team about the possible side effects of the specific drugs you are getting. For younger women, changes in menstrual periods are a common side effect of chemo.
Premature menopause not having any more menstrual periods and infertility not being able to become pregnant may occur and may be permanent. Some chemo drugs are more likely to cause this than others. The older a woman is when she gets chemotherapy, the more likely it is that she will go through menopause or become infertile as a result. When this happens, there is an increased risk of bone loss and osteoporosis.
There are medicines that can treat or help prevent bone loss. Like any treatment, chemotherapy can cause side effects. Everyone reacts differently to drugs and some people have more side effects than others.
Find out about the side effects of chemotherapy. Many people find that complementary therapies help them cope with the side effects of chemotherapy, even though there may not be the evidence to support this. Check with your treatment team or GP before having any complementary therapies, and mention your breast cancer and treatment to any therapist you see.
You may be able to eat normally throughout chemotherapy or your eating habits may change because of side effects. Find out more about diet during treatment.
The evidence is not clear whether supplements such as vitamins, particularly high-dose antioxidants including vitamins A, C and E, co-enzyme Q10 and selenium , are harmful or helpful during chemotherapy. You can still have sex during treatment. Most treatment teams will advise using barrier methods of contraception, such as condoms during treatment, and for a few days after chemotherapy is given.
Your specialist will usually recommend barrier methods of contraception, such as condoms. The contraceptive pill is not usually recommended because it contains hormones.
Emergency contraception such as the morning after pill can still be used. Find out more about how breast cancer and its treatment can affect sex and intimacy and read our tips on how to manage these changes. Live vaccines include mumps, measles, rubella German measles , polio, BCG tuberculosis , shingles and yellow fever.
Live vaccines contain a small amount of live virus or bacteria. If you have a weakened immune system, which you may do during chemotherapy, they could be harmful. Talk to your GP or treatment team before having any vaccinations. If anyone you have close contact with needs to have a live vaccine speak to your treatment team or GP.
They can advise what precautions you may need to take depending on the vaccination. Anyone at risk of a weakened immune system, and therefore more prone to infection, should have the flu vaccine. This includes people due to have, or already having, chemotherapy.
Talk to your chemotherapy team or breast care nurse about the best time to have your flu jab. People having chemotherapy are advised to speak to their treatment team before having a coronavirus Covid vaccination. Find out more about the coronavirus vaccine.
Not knowing what to expect can be very distressing. Many people worry about the side effects they might get. But most side effects can be controlled. You should be told what side effects to report as well as details of who to contact, day or night, if you have any concerns or are unwell.
Your chemotherapy team and breast care nurse can help with any questions you have. You can also call us free on for information and support. On our online Forum , you can find people going through treatment at the same time as you on the chemotherapy monthly threads. You can also speak to someone who has had chemotherapy through our Someone Like Me service.
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