Part I
Chapter 3
Side Effects of Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy can result in a wide
range of side effects; many of them are due to its adverse activity on the
fast-growing normal cells of the body such as bone marrow cells, hair follicle
cells, and crypt epithelial cells on the small intestine lining. Other effects
are due to its adverse activities on vital organs such as liver, kidney, and
heart. Although the side effects induced by individual drugs can be different
from drug to drug, they can be generalized and described below.
A. Bone Marrow
Because most anticancer drugs tend
to damage fast-growing bone marrow cells, which produce new blood cells,
blood-related side effects are not unexpected as a result of chemotherapy.
Basically, there are three major blood-related side effects resulted from bone
marrow damage by chemotherapy; they are briefly described below:
A.1. Neutropenia
Neutropenia is defined as an abnormal
decrease in the number of neutrophils, an abundant type of granular WBC that is
highly destructive of microorganisms. A low WBC count may leave a patient
vulnerable to bacterial infection and the chemotherapy regimen has to be put on
hold until the WBC count is back to an acceptable level for the chemotherapy to
resume. This is often a problem that interferes with the chemotherapy regimen.
A.2. Anemia
Anemia is defined as a deficiency of
hemoglobin (Hb), which is an iron-containing protein that carries oxygen from
the lungs to the body’s brains, muscles, tissues, and other organs; oxygen is
critical to the health of tissues and organs. Symptoms of anemia include light
headedness, tiredness, or dizziness when a patient stands up suddenly from a
crouching position.
A.3.
Thrombocytopenia
Thrombocytopenia refers to the
condition of lower than normal platelet count. Platelets play a fundamental
role in hemostasis (a complex process that causes the blood to clot and bleeding
to stop) and are a natural source of growth factors including platelet-derived
growth factor (PDGF), which plays a significant role in the repair and
regeneration of connective tissues. A low platelet count may cause a person to
experience bruising more easily or excessive bleeding. Patients with acute
myeloid or lymphocytic leukemia often experience low platelet count. This is
especially true when patients with acute leukemia are treated with chemotherapy
All of these three side effects are
related to bone marrow damage and they can be diagnosed through the complete blood count (CBC)
which represents the three types of cells in blood.
Currently, there are several drugs
approved by the FDA to reduce individual side effects resulted from bone marrow
damage. These drugs will be discussed later. In addition, some natural products
have been claimed to have certain protective effects on bone marrow damage.
However, one needs to look into the scientific evidence before making any
conclusion or decision.
© Jiajiu Shaw, 2020
Disclaimer: This blog is written solely for informational purposes. It does not constitute the practice of any medical, nursing or other medical professional health care advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All contents posted are extracted from the book, "SIDE EFFECTS OF CHEMOTHERAPY AND RADIOTHERAPY", prepared by Dr. Jiajiu Shaw, Dr. Frederick Valeriote, and Dr. Ben Chen.
