Side Effects of Chemotherapy
The side effects of chemotherapy are different for everyone. They depend on these things:
- The type of drug you’re taking
- How often you take it
- How long your treatment lasts
Your gynecologic or medical oncologist, healthcare provider, or chemotherapy nurse will talk with you about possible side effects. Here are some typical side effects for the most commonly used chemotherapy drugs for ovarian cancer. Ask your treatment team members about which ones you are most likely to have.
- allergic reactions
- anemia from reduced red blood cells, as noticed from a blood test
- bleeding after normal cuts, from reduced platelet counts
- bruising
- constipation
- diarrhea
- dry skin
- fatigue
- fluid retention
- hair loss
- infections, from reduced white blood cells
- joint pain
- mouth sores
- muscle aches
- nausea and vomiting
- rashes on the hands or feet
- tingling or numbness in hands and feet
These side effects usually go away during rest periods between treatments. They also go away usually after your treatment ends. Ask your doctor for ways to ease these side effects. For instance, you may take certain drugs to ease nausea and vomiting. If these side effects do not go away, it is important to bring this to your health care team’s attention.