CHEMO: THE SIDE-EFFECTS

Chemotherapy uses anti-cancer – or cytotoxic – drugs to destroy tumour cells.

Because most chemotherapy drugs are carried in the blood, they can reach cancer cells anywhere in the body and prevent them from growing and multiplying – but they can also affect healthy cells, causing potentially debilitating sideeffects during treatment.

Some patients may need to stay in hospital for a course of chemo, although most courses are administered in a specialist day unit or at outpatient clinics, and some may even be able to take the drugs at home.

The way the drugs are given depends on the type of cancer and the area affected. Intravenous chemotherapy is given by injection or a drip directly into a vein, while oral chemo is given as a tablet or capsule.

The drugs can be injected into a muscle, under the skin, into the spinal fluid or directly into a body cavity, such as the bladder.

In some skin cancer cases, chemotherapy is rubbed directly onto the skin in the form of a cream.

The power of the drugs to destroy cancer cells means that they can also be harmful to other areas of your body where new cells are quickly made and replaced, including bone marrow – where blood cells are made – hair follicles, the digestive system and the lining of the mouth.

Fatigue is one of the most common side effects, which can be difficult for people to cope with, especially those who are normally active and energetic.

Another common side-effect is a greater vulnerability to infection. Chemo drugs can reduce the number of white blood cells in a patient’s blood, reducing their ability to fight off harmful bacteria.

According to Macmillan Cancer Support, the nature and severity of side-effects depends on the drugs a patient is receiving and at what dosage, though they stress that not everyone will experience all, or indeed any, of them.