Side Effect

Side Effects of Radiotherapy

Radiotherapy is used to kill cancer cells or to limit the growth of the tumor. As it kills living cancer cells, it can also kill good living body cells. When it kills good living body tissues or cells, side effects are noticed.

These are the general common side effects of raiothreapy
  • Fatigue
  • Anemia
  • Skin damage
  • Hair loss
  • Loss of appetite
  • Sore mouth/change of taste/dry mouth
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Low blood counts: anemia, low white blood counts and platelet counts
depending on the irradiated area, different side effects may occur:
A）Brain: cognitive dysfunction, ear ache or hearing loss, headache, seizures etc.
B）Head and Neck:Ear ache, difficulty in swallowing, vision changes etc.
C）Chest: cough, heart problem, fibrosis of the lungs
D）Abdomen: gut inflammation, kidney problem, indigestion
E）Pain and blood in the urine, fertility problems, rectal bleeding, sexual problems for men and women, pain on defecation or loss of control.
heart problems, skin scars, lung fibrosis, fertility problems, bone problems, cognitive problems, osteoporosis, hearing or vision problems etc.
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Side Effects of Target Cell Therapy

Target cell therapy targets certain receptors of the cancer cells. These receptors are often present on good living cells as well. So when the target cell therapeutic drug works also on good living cells, side effects will occur.

Side effects of target cell therapy vary with drug, and with the individual patient.
Some common side effects are:

depending on the irradiated area, different side effects may occur:
A）Rashes are common
B）Feelings of sunburn are common
C）Severe photosensitivity up to blister formation with very little sunlight could happen
D）Itchiness
E）Hand foot syndrome
  • Hair Loss: brittle hair or bald patches, or complete hair loss
  • Changes around the eyes: distorted eye lids, dry eyes
  • High blood pressure: drugs that affect blood vessel growth may cause high blood pressure
  • Bleeding and clotting problems
  • Heart damage
  • Auto immune reations
  • Common side effects like the ones with chemo and radiotherapy: nausea/ vomiting/headache. Mouth sores/, loss of appetite/, fatigue/ appetite loss/cough/ second cancers

Side effects of chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is to try to use special drugs to kill cancer cells or stop cancer cells from growing. Cancer cells are living cells. So when the drugs kill cancer cells, they may also kill good living cells in the patient’s body. When they stop cancer cells from growing, they may also stop good living cells from growing and functioning. That is when side effects occur.Side effects of chemotherapy vary with each drug and vary with each individual.

Some of the common side effects of chemotherapy are:

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Headaches, muscle pain, pain in the fingers and extremities, stomach pain
Feels so tired that one cannot even get up from the bed
A）Nausea
B）Vomiting
C）Diarrhea
D）Constipation
E）Pain
Mucositis causing pain and bleeding so much so that eating become almost impossible
low white blood cells, anemia, low platelet counts
A）Infection
B）Bleeding and bruises
C）Weakness and tiredness
D）Shortness of breath
depending on the irradiated area, different side effects may occur:
numbness, tingling sensation, burning sensation, loss of balance, weakness, trembling, difficulty in thinking or concentrating, memory loss, and other cognitive dysfunction.
chemotherapeutic drug may cause all hair on the scalp to fall during treatment.
Affects the patients’ ability to bear children or be fertile.
Appetite loss.
Some drugs are harmful to the heart.
Permanent damaging effects to the brain, heart, lungs, reproductive system etc.