Chemotherapy is a form of intravenous or oral medication given to cancer affected patient. It works by attacking cancer causing cells and stopping them from dividing/spreading to other parts of the human body. The effects of chemotherapy are good in terms of killing cancer cells and stopping the spreading of the cancer causing cells but there quite a few negative effects of chemotherapy treatment also.
The negative effects of chemotherapy could be short term effects or in some cases, it could be long term. A prior understanding the positive and negative, long term and short term effects of chemotherapy is necessary before undertaking a course of chemotherapy treatment.
The side effects of chemotherapy are normally found in the areas of the human body where normal cells actively divide and grow. These areas are the digestive system, skin, lining of the mouth, hair, and the bone marrow. Short term side effects of chemotherapy include hair loss, constipation, mouth sores, diarrhea, fatigue, bleeding, vomiting, taste difference, liver damage loss of appetite.
Long term side effects of chemotherapy include heart, lung, kidney and liver damage, Infertility, bleeding in the urine and affliction of another form of cancer. It should be noted here that all the side effects of chemotherapy are not common. The effects of chemotherapy depend on the type of cancer and the type of chemotherapy drugs used to treat it.