The side effects of surgery depend on the location of the tumor and the type of operation, among other factors. Patients are often uncomfortable during the first few days after surgery, but the pain can usually be controlled with medicine. The recovery period after an operation varies from patient to patient. Radiation therapy may also cause a decrease in the number of white blood cells that help protect the body against infection. Most of these side effects can be treated or controlled, and in most cases they are not permanent.
Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells.
Chemotherapy is a systemic treatment, meaning that the drugs flow through the bloodstream to nearly every part of the body to kill cancerous cells. Chemotherapy drugs generally target rapidly dividing cancer cells. The resulting side effects include infections, tiredness, temporary hair loss,and mouth sores. Not all chemotherapy patients develop all of these symptoms, and they usually go away during the recovery period or after treatment stops. Medicines and other treatments are available to control or minimize many of these symptoms.