The normal cells most likely to be damaged by chemo are: Blood-forming cells in the bone marrow, Hair follicles, Cells in the mouth, digestive tract, and reproductive system Some chemo drugs can damage cells in the heart, kidneys, bladder, lungs, and nervous system. Sometimes, you can take medicines with the chemo to help protect your body’s normal cells. There are also treatments to help relieve side effects.

But it should be noted that, every person doesn’t get every side effect, and some people get few, if any. The severity of side effects (how bad they are) varies greatly from person to person also. Many side effects go away fairly quickly, but some might take months or even years to go away completely. These are called late effects.

Although side effects vary from drug to drug but some common problems are-

– Fatigue

– Hair loss

– Easy bruising and bleeding

– Infection Anemia (low red blood cell counts)

– Nausea and vomiting

– Appetite changes

– Constipation or Diarrhea

– Mouth, tongue, and throat problems such as sores and pain with swallowing

– Peripheral neuropathy or other nerve problems, such as numbness, tingling, and pain

– Skin and nail changes such as dry skin and color change

– Urine and bladder changes and kidney problems

– Weight changes

– Chemo brain, which can affect concentration and focus

– Mood changes

– Changes in libido and sexual function

– Fertility problems