Health Problems that May Be Caused by Antineoplastic Therapy

The side effects of Antineoplastic Therapy are caused when the drug treatment does not distinguish between cells that are dividing normally and those that are cancerous. The treatment is designed to kill the cancer cells but it also destroys those cells that are part of the normal body cell division process. Shortly after a treatment many patients experience nausea and vomiting, medication can be prescribed to help with this if a patient feels they require it. Before beginning treatment of this kind let your doctor know if you have any heart problems as the drugs used may cause damage to the heart which can manifest as heart murmurs or sometimes heart failure. The ability of bone marrow that makes blood cells in impaired by treatments with these kinds of drugs, and a drop in red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets can cause anemia from a lack of red blood cells, infections from a drop in white blood cell in the immune system and bleeding from the bloods inability to clot from lack of platelets.

Other side effects of Antineoplastic Therapy may be psychological distress caused by the pain which can be accompanied by stress, anxiety or depression. A loss of appetite, constipation and diarrhea are other symptoms that may occur, as well as sores in the mouth, ulcers, saliva may become thickened and difficulty swallowing may also occur especially if the treatment is for a cancer of the neck or head. Hair loss can occur after the first number of treatments and how much is lost depends on the individual, as some patients may lose hair on most parts of the body while others lose a minimal amount. Hair generally begins to re grow once the treatments are finished. Lack of energy and tiredness are other manifestations, and can cause symptoms of feeling sleepy, being exhausted, feeling drowsy, having a lack of patience due to tiredness or exhaustion and being confused.

The side effects of Antineoplastic Therapy can also cause nerve and muscle problems, especially in the toes and fingers or the leg muscles. A tingling or loss of sensation can be felt in the fingers and toes, while the muscles of the legs may have a feeling of weakness. The drug therapy can also affect the skin and this can occur as darkening and peeling, the skin may also feel dry and itchy. Short term memory is sometimes affected along with concentration, and this may be accompanied by a sound of ringing or buzzing in the ears often known as tinnitus, plus there may be a loss of high pitched hearing. Temporary or permanent infertility may occur in both male and female patients and steps can be taken to either have eggs or sperm stored if a family is to be planned after treatment has been completed.