Side effects of stage IV chemotherapy for lung cancer

summary

Chemotherapy drugs not only kill cancer cells, but also affect normal tissue cells. The side effects mainly depend on the specific drugs and dosage. The common side effects of chemotherapy include nausea, vomiting, alopecia, oral ulcer, fatigue and so on. In order to prevent this situation, I'd like to introduce the side effects of phase IV chemotherapy for lung cancer

Side effects of stage IV chemotherapy for lung cancer

First: leukopenia caused by chemotherapy. During chemotherapy, infection occurs and the number of white blood cells is very low, which is called leukopenia. This reduces the patient's ability to resist infection. A type of neutrophilic white blood cell is particularly important in fighting infection. The phenomenon of neutropenia is called neutropenia. Infection can occur in any part of the body, but usually in the mouth, skin, lungs, urethra, rectum and reproductive organs. If the patient's white blood cells decline a lot, doctors will delay treatment, reduce the dose of chemotherapy drugs, or use auxin to increase the number of white blood cells generated from the bone marrow.

Second, when the body does not get enough oxygen and red blood cells can not work properly, it is called anemia. Symptoms include fatigue, dizziness, pale face, cold body, and even shortness of breath. At this time, it is also important to tell the doctor the symptoms. Doctors often check the patient's red blood cell count during treatment. If the patient's red blood cell count is very low, blood transfusion or auxin is needed to promote the growth of red blood cells.

Third: chemotherapy damages the heart. The most vulnerable normal cells are blood cells in bone marrow and cells in oral cavity, digestive tract, reproductive system and hair follicle. Some chemotherapy drugs can damage cells in the heart, kidney, bladder, lung and nervous system. Cell protection drugs can be used to protect the normal cells of the human body.

matters needing attention

Most of the side effects disappear when chemotherapy stops, because healthy cells recover quickly. The time taken to eliminate side effects and regain vitality varies from person to person and depends on many factors, including the patient's overall health and the special drugs taken. Many of the side effects are eliminated very quickly, but some will not disappear until months or years later. Sometimes even when chemotherapy causes permanent damage to the heart, lungs, kidneys or reproductive organs, the side effects last a lifetime. Sometimes, some chemotherapy can cause a delayed response, such as a second cancer that appears many years later.