Treatment Side Effects

Chemotherapy and Your Mouth

 

While chemotherapy helps treat cancer, it can also cause other things to happen in your body called side effects. Some of these problems affect the mouth and could cause you to delay or stop treatment.

Hair Loss During Chemotherapy

Believe it or not, hair loss (alopecia) due to chemotherapy is one of the most distressing side effects of chemo treatments. Hair loss happens because the chemotherapy affects all cells in the body, not just the cancer cells. The lining of the mouth, stomach, and the hair follicles are especially sensitive because those cells multiply rapidly just like the cancer cells. The difference is that the normal cells will repair themselves, making these side effects temporary.

Peripheral Neuropathy

by Nessa Coyle, NP, PhD, and Julie K. Silver, MD

Cancer survivors may experience nerve pain, often described as tingling, burning, or numbness. They may also have problems with balance and coordination if the symptoms are in the feet. If the hands are involved, survivors may complain of dropping items or having difficulty buttoning shirts or using a cell phone.