Chemotherapy side effects

Chemotherapy drugs affect people in different ways. You may have fewer side effects than someone else receiving the same drugs, or more. You may have no side effects at all.

Your experience depends on:

• the type of chemotherapy drug/s you have
• your general health
• the dose and length of treatment.

If you don’t experience side effects, it doesn’t mean the treatment is not working.

Most side effects go away once you finish treatment, but some may take longer.

There are ways to manage them, with help from your treating team.

When side effects can start

You might experience side effects quite quickly after chemotherapy or 5 or more days after chemotherapy treatment.

If possible, schedule your first treatment so you can rest for a few days afterwards. This helps you learn how the chemotherapy will affect you. You can plan future treatment so you have rest when you need it most.

Common side effects

Your medical oncologist and chemotherapy nurse will tell you what side effects your chemotherapy might cause. They will also help you manage the impact.

Many side effects improve within days.

Some, such as fatigue and chemo ‘fog’, build up over time. You may find they start to improve once you stop chemotherapy, but it can take, on average, 7 to 8 months before you feel maximum improvement.

Find out what’s normal and ways you may be able to prevent or reduce side effects.

• blood cell count is low
• chemo brain – brain fog or cognitive impairment
• diarrhoea or constipation
• eye soreness
• fatigue (extreme tiredness)
• hair loss
• menopausal symptoms (temporary or permanent)
• mouth issues such as ulcers, dry mouth, and taste changes
• nausea and vomiting
• nerve and muscle pain – ‘peripheral neuropathy’
• sexual difficulties
• skin or nail changes
• swelling in arms and legs
• weight gain or weight loss

If you experience other signs, check if they are rare side effects. You may need to follow up with your doctor.

Why chemotherapy causes side effects

Chemotherapy targets and destroys fast-growing cells in the body. The aim is to kill the cancer cells but normal, healthy cells can also be affected. These cells may be in your blood, mouth, gut, nails, hair and reproductive organs.

Unlike cancer cells, normal cells usually recover from the damage.