Disadvantages of Chemotherapy
One of the scariest aspects about being diagnosed with cancer is having to undergo aggressive therapies, such as emergency surgery or chemotherapy. Radiation and intravenous drips of cytotoxic chemicals are used in combination to make up what is known as chemotherapy. The side effects, both short term and long term, can be harsh.
Warning
Keep in mind that not every cancer patient will need chemotherapy and not all patients undergoing chemotherapy will have severe short term or long term side effects. This is a rapidly growing field of medical science, so do not let the disadvantages of chemotherapy scare you into not receiving potentially life-saving treatments.
Types
Short term negative side effects of chemotherapy include loss of hair and eyebrows, loss of appetite, having food taste peculiar, mouth sores, nausea, vomiting, loose stools or constipation (due to less food intake), fatigue, mental fogginess and inability to resist infections. Another short term disadvantage is that treatment is time-consuming.
Long term side effects (depending on what type of cancer you had and where treatment was done) include infertility, heart problems, damage to the central nervous system or damage to vital organs such as the lungs or liver. Another disadvantage is the cost, which many health insurance companies will not entirely pay for.
Time Frame
Chemotherapy treatments can take hours at one time. It can be nearly impossible to hold down a job or go to school because of treatments. Some patients may have to spend the entire course of treatment at a hospital. Depending on where the cancer is, how advanced it is and the patient's individual health, chemotherapy treatments can take as little as two weeks or as long as several months. Sometimes, one course of chemotherapy does not work and another is needed.
Considerations
Chemotherapy is not taken lightly by doctors because of the dangers of long-term side effects and the cost to the patient. It's considered the best option if the cancer seems to have spread to other organs, or if after a surgery to remove a tumor, cancer is still discovered in the body. It's also the only option for some incurable forms of cancer, such as leukemia, because the cancer is all throughout the body and not just in one location.
Effects
Radiation is thought to play a role in causing infertility or internal organ damage. The cytotoxic chemicals that make up chemotherapy medications are designed to kill cells, and sometimes good cells die as well as cancer cells. This is why hair falls out. Cells in the lining of the tongue, stomach and bowel often die because of treatments. Because chemotherapy enters the blood supply, often the bone marrow will stop producing the needed amounts of platelets, white blood cells or red blood cells. Often, all of these side effects will go away after chemotherapy treatment ends.
Tags: side effects, short term, because treatments, blood cells, cytotoxic chemicals, Disadvantages Chemotherapy
