Chemotherapy saves many lives each year, however, with the use of chemotherapy there are also side effects. Some of the long-term side effects can be reduced or prevented while others must be endured. Knowing the long-term side effects that can be caused by chemotherapy can help a patient stop worrying that the cancer has come back or that there is something else seriously wrong.
Considerations
Chemotherapy is a drug treatment that is used to treat a variety of serious medical conditions, with the most common being cancer. Chemotherapy works by being introduced to the bloodstream and then attacking the cancer cells as well as the good cells in the body in the hope that it will eradicate the cancer.
While chemotherapy has been shown to improve and save lives, it is not without side effects. Some of the side effects are mild and easily managed while others can become quite serious. Most side effects from chemotherapy go away after the treatment is stopped, but there are some side effects that are long-term and sometimes lifelong.
Taste
The Cancer Institute at MD Anderson, University of Texas, reports that people who are going through chemotherapy often experience a difference in the way things taste. These changes can include a dislike for sweet food or a sudden increase in desire for sweet food. It can also cause a dislike for tomato-based products and foods as well as a sudden dislike for meats including pork and beef. Many chemotherapy patients have reported a constant metallic taste in their mouths. While most patients' taste buds return to normal after completing chemotherapy, a small percentage of patients find that it is a long-term, and sometimes permanent, side effect.
Other side effects
Studies at the Mayo Clinic have found that another potential long-term side effect of chemotherapy is damage to the body's organs, including the reproductive organs. If doctors determine that a chemotherapy drug is causing organ damage, the drug is usually halted and another drug combination is chosen or chemotherapy is stopped altogether. Sometimes, however, the damage to the organs is not discovered until after the chemotherapy is completed ,which can lead to permanent damage and infertility.
Growth in children can be affected during chemotherapy also, according to Mayo Clinic, and the result can have a long-term impact on the child's height potential. In addition, children who are treated with chemotherapy can develop permanent learning disabilities.
One long-term side effect in both children and adults who have been through chemotherapy treatments is nerve damage. Nerve damage may appear during chemotherapy, shortly after chemotherapy has been completed or may not appear for months or years later. The result of such damage can be ringing in the ears, problems with memory, an inability to focus and stay focused, constant fatigue and the desire to sleep and changes in the way hands, feet, arms and legs feel.
Blood in the patient's urine is another possible long-term side effect of chemotherapy and can last for quite awhile after chemotherapy is completed. Some patients report that the condition actually worsens for some time after the chemotherapy has stopped.
Cancer again
Another potential long-term side effect of chemotherapy treatment is a new cancer developing. This can happen months or years after chemotherapy has been completed and can return in another area of the body altogether.
Heart-Lung complications
Heart damage is also a long-term side effect risk when undergoing chemotherapy treatment. The heart can become enlarged, or the valves leading to the heart can become damaged and weak. The doctor closely monitors the heart during chemotherapy treatment, however, there are cases in which the damage happens so quickly that it is not caught before it occurs.
Lungs can also be permanently damaged during chemotherapy and create long-term issues as well as a need for medical care.
Consideration
Chemotherapy can save lives as well as improve the quality of life for patients who have life-threatening or terminal illnesses and conditions. With chemotherapy, there are usually side effects, however, most of them are manageable or worth the benefit of chemotherapy treatment. Long-term side effects of chemotherapy, while more rare than the short-term side effects, can be serious and not treatable. It is important for patients to talk with their doctor and weigh the pros and cons of chemotherapy so the best decision can be made.
Tags: side effects, long-term side, side effect, after chemotherapy, long-term side effect, chemotherapy treatment