Medical Informative Booklets
Chemotherapy
What you wish to know about Chemotherapy
(Which possible side effects does chemotherapy involve ?)
Effects on the hair
The use of certain drugs may involve a partial or complete loss of hair. This loss of hair, called alopecia is a side effect and a psychological burden. You have to be aware that alopecia is transitory and that the hair will start growing again once the treatment is finished.
In some cases the hair texture and color change a little bit. Some of you might have heard of the use of a refrigerated helmet that might prevent loss of hair.The use of this system is not as efficient as other treatments and may have some disadvantages. Ask your doctor for further information.
Our advise :
- cut your hair shorter than usually
- avoid perms, bleaching and dyeing (those products are aggressive for your scalp), use a mild shampoo (for babies)
- loss of hair is not a sudden phenomenon, it is progressive and often starts several weeks after the administration of the first treatment. If you lose your hair, we advise you to choose a wig quite rapidly, so that is looks like your usual hairstyle.
- It is better to choose a synthetic wig (it is cheaper, lighter and easier to look after)
- when you buy a wig, keep the invoice and ask your medical specialist for a medical certificate. Thanks to these documents your mutual insurance will reimburse part of the original cost. This wig can be replaced every two years.
- to hide the loss of hair, you may also wear a scarf, a turban or a hat. Be creative and stylish: you can match the color of your turban or scarf with your outfit. Many women nowadays use turbans as fashion accessories. Such scarves are lighter and airier than wigs and more comfortable to wear during the summer.
Possible effects on the skin
If you suffer from allergies (itching, redness of the skin, urticaria) tell your doctor so he can treat them, and stop the product that triggered them.
The most common reactions appear progressively : dryness of the skin, acne, hypersensitivity to the sun.
Our advise :
- avoid exposures to the sun as much as possible and use total sunblock cream. The use of certain drugs, completely forbids sun exposure.
- for acne : use an appropriate lotion or soap.
- for dry skin use a lotion containing lanolin
- make-up can also help you to hide these small temporary imperfections
- a red-brown line may appear around the vein that was used to inject the treatment. It is due to the irritation of the vein because of injected products : tell the nurse about it, she will make you a bandage with an ointment. In future, the product will probably be injected into another vein.
Effects on sexual organs
For women
The use of certain drugs will cause irregularity in your cycles and your period may even stop.
Post-menopausal women may experience an increase of the symptoms of the menopause, especially flushes.
Our advice :
- for women who have not reached menopause, it is essential to guard against pregnancy using an efficient contraception means that is also compatible with the treatment. Ask your doctor for advise because the pill is often contraindicated : the drugs used for your treatment may cause foetus malformation.
- If you are pregnant at the diagnosis of your disease, your doctor will take a decision depending on the stage of your pregnancy
- after the end of your treatment, wait for your doctor's approval before considering having a baby.
For men
The treatment may involve a decrease in the production or in the quality of sperm, hence of fertility.
Do not rely on fertility during your treatment as a safe means of contraception : it is preferable for you and your partner to use a means of contraception during your treatment period.
Before the beginning of your treatment, you can deposit sperm at the sperm bank, where it can be kept and used afterwards.
Unforeseen side effects may appear. If you notice unusual symptoms, tell your doctor or nurse about it.During your consultations at the general hospital do not hesitate to talk to your doctor and to ask him any question concerning your treatment.
Most side effects caused by chemotherapy start to decrease once the treatment is finished.
However, you have to be aware that every person is different and that this period of "return to normal" depends on the person. This recovery period also depends on the general health state of the patient and on the drugs he took.
- Effects on the mouth and on the digestive tract : click here
- Effects on blood cells and urinary system : click here
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