Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy may be given orally (by mouth); given intravenously (in a vein); injected either into a muscle, under the skin, or directly into the cancerous tumor; or applied onto the surface of the skin.
Chemotherapy can be used in the initial treatment either neoadjuvant (before) or adjuvant (after) surgery, radiation therapy, or both.
Many combined treatments (chemotherapy and radiation therapy) are performed as part of a clinical trial, which are research studies to find new treatments.
Each drug or combination of drugs can cause specific side effects, and some can be permanent. In general, chemotherapy may cause the following side effects:
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Fatigue
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Nausea
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Vomiting
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Hair loss
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Dry mouth
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Loss of appetite, due to a change in sense of taste
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Weakened immune system
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Diarrhea and/or constipation
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Open sores in the mouth; this condition coupled with a low immunity can lead to infections.
The medications used to treat cancer are continually being evaluated. Talking with your doctor is often the best way to learn about the medications you’ve been prescribed, their purpose, and their potential side effects or interactions with other medications. Learn more about your prescriptions through Cancer.Net’s Drug Information Resources, which provides links to searchable drug databases.
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