In a previous article, I wrote about anticancer drugs. I have been doing further research on the side effects of anticancer drugs, and I thought it would be a good idea to summarize various aspects of these side effects, so I will summarize this article with a special focus on side effects.
If you have not seen the previous article, please click here. ↓↓
Case 1: Infection due to leukopenia
Case: Female in her 50s, breast cancer patient. She was treated with anticancer drug after surgery.
Two weeks after the start of treatment, her white blood cell count decreased and she developed fever and cough.
Test results revealed that she had developed pneumonia, and she was hospitalized.
What is leukopenia?
White blood cells play an important role in the body’s immune system. White blood cells are responsible for protecting the body from pathogens such as bacteria and viruses.
Some anticancer drugs suppress the production of white blood cells by attacking hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow. This results in a decrease in the number of white blood cells (leukopenia).
Symptoms of Leukopenia
The main symptoms of leukopenia are
Fever: persistent fever of 38°C (100°F) or higher
Chills: severe chills
Diarrhea: Watery diarrhea (3 or more episodes)
Frequent urination: increased frequency and volume of urine
Mouth ulcers: Multiple mouth ulcers
Pharyngitis: Sore or swollen throat
Body odor: increased body odor
Infections due to leukopenia
Leukopenia poses a serious risk of increased susceptibility to infections.
The main types of infections are
Pneumonia: infection of the lungs
Fungal infections: infections caused by fungi such as molds and yeast
Viral infections: Infections caused by viruses such as herpes and chickenpox viruses
Septicemia: Bacteria enter the bloodstream and cause infections throughout the body
Case 2: Fatigue due to anemia
Case: Male in his 60s, patient with colorectal cancer.
He was undergoing anticancer drug treatment.
A few weeks after the start of treatment, he began to suffer from fatigue, which interfered with his daily life.
After examination, he was diagnosed as anemic and received blood transfusion.
What is anemia?
Anemia is a condition in which the number of red blood cells or the amount of hemoglobin in the body is low.
Red blood cells are responsible for transporting oxygen, and hemoglobin is a protein contained within red blood cells that binds to oxygen.
Some anticancer drugs suppress the production of red blood cells by attacking hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow. This results in a decrease in red blood cell count and hemoglobin levels (anemia).
Symptoms of Anemia
The main symptoms of anemia are
Fatigue: Severe tiredness.
Shortness of breath: shortness of breath after a slight movement
Palpitations: rapid heart rate
Headache: headache
Dizziness: Vertigo
Pale: Pale complexion
Coldness: Feeling cold
Case 3: Hair removal
Case: Female patient in her 30s, ovarian cancer. She was treated with anticancer drug. About one month after the start of treatment, her hair began to fall out, and after two months, most of it had fallen out. She had to wear a wig for the rest of her life.
What is hair loss?
Hair loss is the loss of hair or body hair. Some anticancer drugs cause hair loss by attacking cells in the hair follicles.
Types of Hair Loss
There are the following types of hair loss
Total alopecia: all of the hair falls out
Partial alopecia: Part of the hair falls out.
Eyebrow alopecia: the eyebrows fall out.
Eyelash alopecia: Eyelashes fall out
Pubic hair removal: pubic hair falls out
Body hair removal: All body hair is removed.
The degree of hair loss depends on the type of anticancer drug used, the dose, and the method of administration. In general, hair loss begins within a few days to a few weeks after the start of treatment, and begins to grow back within a few months to six months after the end of treatment.
Case 4: Nausea and vomiting
Case: Male patient in his 40s with gastric cancer. He was treated with anticancer drug. A few days after the start of treatment, nausea and vomiting appeared, and he could hardly eat. Symptoms improved with antiemetic medication.
Mechanism of nausea and vomiting
Some anticancer drugs cause nausea and vomiting by stimulating the vomiting center of the brain or the mucous membranes of the digestive tract.
Degree of nausea and vomiting
The degree of nausea and vomiting varies depending on the type of anticancer drug, dosage, and administration method. In general, nausea and vomiting begin a few hours to a few days after the start of administration and seem to subside a few days to a few weeks after the end of administration.
Types of Nausea and Vomiting
Acute nausea and vomiting: nausea and vomiting that occur within hours of administration
Delayed nausea and vomiting: nausea and vomiting that occur hours to days after administration
Breakthrough nausea and vomiting: nausea and vomiting that occur after the effects of the antiemetic have worn off
Case 5: Diarrhea
Case: Female in her 20s, leukemia patient. She was treated with anticancer drug. A few days after the start of treatment, diarrhea appeared and began to interfere with her daily life. Her symptoms improved with anti-diarrhea medication.
Mechanism of diarrhea
Some anticancer agents cause diarrhea by activating peristalsis of the intestines or stimulating the intestinal mucosa.
Degree of diarrhea
The degree of diarrhea varies depending on the type of anticancer drug used, the dosage, and the administration method. In general, diarrhea begins a few days to a few weeks after the start of administration and seems to disappear a few days to a few weeks after the end of administration.
Types of Diarrhea
Watery diarrhea: frequent watery stools
Hematochezia: blood in stools
Mucous: mucus in stools
Case 6: Stomatitis
Case: Male in his 70s, prostate cancer patient. He was treated with anticancer drugs. About a week after the start of treatment, he developed mouth ulcers and had difficulty eating due to pain. The symptoms improved with oral care and painkillers.
Mechanism of mouth ulcers
Some anticancer drugs cause stomatitis by attacking cells of the oral mucosa.
Types of stomatitis
Aphthous stomatitis: shallow ulcers that are round or oval in shape and covered with a whitish film.
Herpetic stomatitis: A cluster of several to dozens of small blisters.
Ulcerative stomatitis: Deep ulcers, often painful.
Degree of stomatitis
The degree of stomatitis depends on the type of anticancer drug used, the dosage, and the method of administration. In general, stomatitis appears within a few days to a few weeks after the start of administration and seems to heal within a few weeks to a few months after the end of administration.
Case 7: Fatigue
Case: Female in her 50s, lung cancer patient. She was undergoing anticancer drug treatment. In the first few weeks of treatment, her fatigue became severe and she had difficulty doing housework and going out. She consulted her doctor and her symptoms improved with thorough nutritional management and rest.
Degree of malaise
The degree of malaise varies depending on the type of anticancer drug used, the dosage, and the administration method. In general, malaise appears within a few days to a few weeks after the start of administration and subsides within a few weeks to a few months after the end of administration.
Types of Fatigue
There are several types of fatigue, including the following
Mild fatigue: fatigue that is not so severe that it interferes with daily activities.
Moderate malaise: fatigue that interferes with daily activities.
Severe malaise: fatigue that makes it difficult to go about one’s daily life.
Case 8: Anorexia
Case: Male patient in his 60s, pancreatic cancer. He was undergoing anticancer drug treatment. Within the first few weeks of treatment, he developed a loss of appetite and began to lose weight. After consulting a nutritionist and taking nutritional supplements, his symptoms improved.
Types of anorexia
Mild anorexia: a little less appetite than usual
Moderate anorexia: much less appetite than usual
Severe anorexia: little or no food
Case 9: Heat generation
Case: Female in her 30s, patient with cervical cancer. She was treated with anticancer agents. A few days after the start of treatment, fever appeared and exceeded 38 degrees Celsius. She was treated with antipyretics and monitored closely.
Types of fever
Low fever: fever below 38°C
Moderate fever: Fever between 38°C and 39°C
High fever: Fever over 39°C
Case 10: Taste disorder
Case: Male patient in his 40s, esophageal cancer. He was treated with anticancer drugs. A few weeks after the start of treatment, his sense of taste became strange and he could not taste food. After consulting with his doctor, he was put under observation.
Mechanism of taste disorder
Although the mechanism of taste disorder caused by anticancer agents is not fully understood, the following factors are thought to be involved
Tongue damage: Anticancer drugs may attack taste-sensing taste bud cells. Damage to taste bud cells can cause taste disorder.
Neuropathy: Anticancer drugs can attack the nerves that carry taste information to the brain. Damage to the nerves can cause taste disorder.
Decreased saliva production: Anticancer drugs can attack the salivary glands and cause decreased saliva production. Since saliva is responsible for detecting the taste of food, decreased saliva production can cause taste disorder.
Psychological factors: Anxiety and stress from anticancer treatment can cause taste disorders.
degree of taste disorder
The degree of taste disorder depends on the type of anticancer drug used, the dosage, and the method of administration. In general, taste disorder appears within a few days to a few weeks after the start of administration and disappears within a few months to a year after the end of administration.
Types of Taste Disorders
There are the following types of taste disorders
Sweet taste disorder: difficulty perceiving sweet tastes
Salty: difficulty perceiving saltiness
Acidity: difficulty perceiving sour tastes
Bitter Taste Disorder: difficulty perceiving bitter tastes
Tastelessness: inability to perceive all tastes
SUMMARY
As described above, there are many types of side effects of anticancer drugs.
Symptoms vary depending on the patient’s condition, type of anticancer drug, dosage, administration method, administration period, and so on.
In this article, we have introduced some of the most common side effects, along with actual examples.
I hope this will be of some help to you.
