Chemotherapy drugs work by destroying very active cells that divide rapidly.
Unfortunately, chemotherapy also can affect normal cells that actively divide, such as blood cells forming in bone marrow, in hair follicles, in the mouth, and in the intestines. When that occurs, it causes side effects. Different chemotherapy drugs cause different side effects. The most common side effects are feeling tired, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, mouth sores, hair loss, and a low white blood cell count. To minimize the side effects, chemotherapy drugs are carefully monitored according to the amount and number of times that they are administered by your physician.