Side Effects of Treatment
Side Effects of Treatment |
| Treatment kills cancer cells, but it also kills normal healthy cells. When normal cells are damaged or killed there are side effects. However, normals cells repair themselves better than cancer cells, and the side effects are nearly always temporary. The normal cells that are most often affected by treatment are those that grow fastest. They are in bone marrow (when blood cells are produced), the digestive system (stomach, bowels or intestines, rectum) hair, skin and the reproductive system. The Information Book describes the possible side effects of treatment and includes hints to manage them. It's a long list but each child WON'T have every possible side effect. Many children will have only a few side effects. Most side effects are short-term. Side effects can be managed in hospital and at home. The medications section of this website provides information sheets on individual drugs and their side effects. For more information about possible side effects please refer to The Information Book Edition 2.1, Section 4:8 or information about side effects of chemotherapy. |