9 Effects of Chemotherapy on Your Body

Chemotherapy is one of the most common treatments for cancer. These powerful drugs target cells that divide faster in any part of your body. The treatment fights cancer cells effectively but can also harm healthy cells, which may lead to several side effects. 

Chemotherapy drugs can affect almost every system of your body. The treatment hits the digestive tract, hair follicles, bone marrow, mouth, and reproductive system the hardest. Cancer-related fatigue affects many people and continues for a long period even after the treatment ends. A patient's hair usually starts falling out within three weeks after starting treatment. Some patients develop painful tingling sensations in their hands and feet from chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.

The good news is that most side effects of chemo only last during the treatment period. However, some complications might never go away. Doctors can choose from more than 100 different chemotherapy drugs to treat your cancer. Each medication comes with its own set of side effects, so learning about these drugs becomes crucial for cancer patients who are about to begin their treatment journey.

The Effects of Chemotherapy on the Body: What You Need to Know

Chemotherapy affects many systems in your body simultaneously. These powerful medicines cannot distinguish between cancer cells and healthy ones that grow rapidly. Understanding your body's response helps you deal with these changes.

1. Circulatory and immune system: Chemotherapy reduces white blood cells, thus causing weakening of your immune system. White blood cells fight infections. The bone marrow's ability to produce blood cells gets damaged for a while, which makes you more likely to get sick. A normal neutrophil count (these are the first line of defense against infections in our body) ranges from 2,500-6,000, but chemotherapy can drop this number dramatically. Your count below 500 leads to neutropenia, which puts you at much higher risk of infection.

Cancer treatments might also hurt your heart. Certain chemo drugs can cause cardiotoxicity that might lead to heart failure, irregular heartbeats, or high blood pressure. Some heart problems might not show any symptoms even after 20 years of treatment closure.

2. Nervous and muscular system: Nerve damage from chemotherapy can cause peripheral neuropathy. You might feel painful tingling in your hands and feet, muscle weakness, and problems with coordination. The majority of people who take certain chemotherapy drugs feel these sensations.

Brain fog or "chemo brain" affects many patients. People find it hard to focus, remember things, and learn new information. Most patients see improvement within months after treatment ends, but some deal with these effects for years.

Muscle weakness often happens because chemotherapy directly affects muscle tissue. Studies show that certain chemo drugs cause major muscle loss and reduced strength. This isn't just from lack of use—chemotherapy creates oxidative stress that damages muscle cells.

3. Digestive system: Side effects in your digestive system usually start 7-14 days after chemotherapy. You might experience:

• Dry or sore mouth with possible ulcers
• Nausea and vomiting 
• Food tasting more bitter or metallic
• Diarrhoea or constipation

Not everyone gets nauseous during chemotherapy, despite what many think. Anti-sickness medications work best if you take them before feeling sick. Small, frequent meals help manage digestive problems better than large ones.

4. Integumentary system (outer protective layer of the body including but not limited to skin, nails and hair): Your hair might start falling out one to three weeks after starting treatment. Additionally your skin often becomes dry, itchy, red or darker, and peels easily. Some treatments make your skin more sensitive to the sun, causing quicker sunburns.

Your nails might darken, crack, and develop painful cuticles. These changes in your skin and nails usually get better once treatment ends.

5. Sexual and reproductive system: Both men and women can have fertility changes with chemotherapy. Women may experience early menopause, which can include symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, and dryness in the vagina. Some treatments can permanently damage the ovaries, especially if your doctor is giving you alkylating agents.

Men might produce fewer or lower-quality sperm. You should think about sperm banking or egg freezing before treatment if you want children later.
Sexual desire and function often change during treatment. These issues usually improve after treatment ends. Open discussions with your doctor can help find solutions.

6. Excretory system: Your kidneys might suffer damage since they filter chemotherapy drugs from your blood. Watch for changes in how often you urinate, swelling in your limbs or if you have started feeling tired. Some drugs raise your risk of kidney damage.

7. Skeletal health: Chemotherapy weakens bones and increases the risk of fractures. Studies reveal that chemo causes cellular ageing, which interrupts how bones heal. To strengthen bones during treatment, doctors recommend weight-lifting exercises and calcium supplements.

8. Mental health: Chemotherapy takes a heavy emotional toll. Cancer patients are four times more likely to experience depression than others. Anxiety, distress, and feeling alone are common during and after treatment.

These mental health challenges come from both the diagnosis and physical side effects that disrupt your life. Support from mental health experts plays a vital role in complete cancer care.

9. Rare side effects: Chemotherapy can cause rare but serious complications beyond the usual side effects. These include:

• Damage to the heart structure
• Development of secondary cancers 
• Neutropenic typhlitis, pancreatitis, and acute haemolysis 
• Thromboembolism
• Vascular complications including hypertension, myocardial ischemia, and stroke
• Permanent nerve damage that causes ongoing numbness or pain

Permanent side effects don't happen often. All the same, patients should talk about potential long-term risks with their healthcare team. Early detection and management of these issues help prevent additional complications.

Risks

Understanding chemotherapy's broader risks helps patients make informed decisions about cancer treatment. Each patient responds uniquely to treatment based on multiple factors.

Several elements determine the chance of side effects:

• Your age at diagnosis
• Any existing health conditions
• Type and dose of chemotherapy drugs
• Duration of treatment

The risks can surface months or even years after treatment ends. 

Conclusion

Chemotherapy fights cancer cells but affects almost every part of your body. The most common side effects of chemotherapy that we know are fatigue, nausea, and hair loss. Each patient reacts to treatment in their own way. The powerful drugs affect blood cells, nerves, the digestive system, skin, and reproductive organs differently.

The good news is that most side effects only last during treatment. Your hair will grow back. Energy levels return to normal and digestive problems usually improve after chemotherapy ends. Some patients might face long term complications like nerve damage, heart issues, or changes in fertility.
Your response to chemotherapy depends on age, health condition, medication type, and treatment length. Medical teams carefully consider these factors against cancer itself. 

Chemotherapy brings many challenges, but knowing what to expect helps patients prepare better for treatment. Understanding this helps you ask better questions and get the support needed to ease pain. Though it can be tough, chemotherapy saves countless lives. Keeping this in mind family and caregivers should encourage patients to face short-term struggles to aim for a life without cancer.