Side effects of ifosfamide, cisplatin and etoposide (ICE) chemotherapy are seen in patients with low resistance. These include vomiting, hair loss, bleeding, loss of appetite, nausea, tiredness etc. Some patients have short-term side effects like diarrhea, loss of taste, drowsiness, loss of balance, being dazed or confused. Although most of these side effects disappear after the treatment, there are other long-term effects, which could be permanent. These include infertility, damage to kidneys, etc.

The ICE chemotherapy is used to treat non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. ICE stands for ifosfamide, cisplatin and etoposide. This is a combination of drugs used to treat non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Not everyone would experience all the side effects as these depend on the area treated, the amount of drug used, frequency of sessions and most importantly on the immunity of the patient.

The ICE chemotherapy is performed at the hospital in an inpatient setting. ICE chemotherapy can be carried out only once the patient has done the blood tests to verify the count of all the blood cells. When the blood count report is normal, only then the patient is allowed to receive ICE chemotherapy.

These drugs are administered into the body with a thin plastic tube inserted beneath the skin into a vein very close to the collarbone. This drug can also be inserted into the arm vein for some patients.

Most patients find this process painful; however, this process is for a very short time. These drugs make the patient feel sick. In order to fight this sickness, an anti-sickness drip is administered prior to the treatment. There are some oral medications to get rid of this sick feeling. There are medications like mesna, which is an oral drug. This is used to relieve the irritation of the bladder caused by the drug isofamide.

Ifosfamide Side Effects

Ifosfamide is used as an alkylating agent and administered intravenously. Certain side effects of this drug are a low white and red blood cell count, which can increase the risk of anemia and increased infection. This can happen because low red cells count decreases hemoglobin whereas low white cells count decreases immunity, as white cells are the fighter cells. Other side effects of this drug include nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, and blood in the urine.

Some rare side effects of ifosfamide are neurotoxicity, which causes drowsiness, confused state of mind and hallucinations. This drug at times causes infertility and increases the risk of developing leukemia. This drug causes irritation to the bladder and hence it is essential to keep yourself hydrated during the treatment.

Cisplatin Side Effects

Cisplatin is administered intravenously. This drug should be strictly administered by a trained professional because if it leaks from the vein, damages the tissues.

Some regular side effects of cisplatin are nausea and vomiting, low white and red blood cell counts and toxicity in kidneys. These symptoms normally subside after treatment. Other side effects include ringing in the ears, hair loss, numbness and tingling in the fingers and toes (neuropathy) and a metallic taste in the mouth.

Etoposide Side Effects

Etoposide is the last drug used in the ICE chemotherapy. It is administered either orally or intravenously. This drug also causes low blood cell counts, hair loss, and nausea and vomiting. At times, it can cause mouth sores, menopause, diarrhea, inflammation at the injection site, skin reactions and a risk of developing a second cancer.

Side effects of ICE chemotherapy differ with each person as each person has a different body constitution. The mode of treatment varies hence the effects also vary. However, research and clinical trials are still going on to reduce these side effects and to give fast relief to the patients.