Chemotherapy treatment uses cytotoxic drugs to kill or diminish the size of a cancer tumor. Chemotherapy is could be given before surgery to reduce the size of the tumor, which makes it easier to be excised during surgery. Often, chemotherapy is given after a surgical remission to ensure a successful healing of residual cancer cells. In a more adverse form of cancer where the oncogenic cells have reached other parts of the body than the area of infliction, chemotherapy is just one possible solution. Chemotherapy drugs are given into the blood and these reach the site of cancer directly thus affecting the cancer growth. Regardless of its aim there are some common side effects of chemotherapy which are inevitable.

Chemotherapy drugs react by identifying the cellular division of cancer cells. There are many normal cells in our body which tend to divide continuously to perform some regular functions. Chemotherapy drugs fail to recognize the normal cells and destroy them in the go. The damage done to these normal cells interfere with regular body metabolism causing some discomfortable side reactions like hair fall, anemia, neutropenia, excessive bleeding, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting and loose appetite. We will discuss these side effects and their remedies one after another in the remaining section of this article:

1. Hair Fall/Alopecia: Patients must be prepared after their chemotherapy as hair fall is most likely side reaction. Chemotherapy drugs deplete some hair follicle cells in the treatment thereby causing abrupt hair loss.
2. Anemia: Anemia is a condition of low RBC Count in the body. Chemotherapy destroys bone marrow cells which divide to form blood cells. The absence of sufficient number of RBC causes anemia. Anemia is evident with some anomalies like breathlessness, a pale look, fatigue and tiredness. In dearth of hemoglobin the blood carries less oxygen to remaining body parts thereby causing air hunger and tiredness.
3. Neutropenia: Damaged bone marrow cells result in low WBC Count. WBCs are the work horses of our body and they fight any infection. A reduced concentration of WBC cells lower the body immunity.
4. Excessive Bleeding: Blood platelets in our body are accountable for blood clot. Presence of few blood platelets in the body may cause excessive bleeding due to minor cuts
5. Diarrhea: The depletion of intestinal cells may induce diarrhea and watery stools. Patients often find food distasteful after chemotherapy this is followed by a lowered appetite
6. Nausea and Vomiting: Feeling sick (Nausea) and being sick (Vomiting) is most common side reaction to chemotherapy drugs. These however could be subsided by consuming some anti emetic or anti sickness drugs

The side reactions or side effects of chemotherapy are not avoidable. Although, these side effects are discomforting one should not worry much as these subside once the chemotherapy is over.