Diarrhea is frequently a side effect of chemotherapy. This booklet will define diarrhea and discuss the importance of reporting diarrhea to your physician or nurse. Early treatment usually brings the best results. Treatment and diet suggestions are included to help ease the discomfort and lessen the severity of this side effect. Chemotherapy Chemotherapy involves special drugs that are used to treat cancer.
Chemotherapy is given in the hope of killing the cancer cells.
Along the way, however, they often have an effect on normal cells. This can lead to side effects from the drugs. The cells in the body that are most likely to be damaged or disrupted by the chemotherapy are also those cells that are rapidly dividing. The cells in the bone marrow and intestines are particularly sensitive to this type of damage. Side Effects Side effects of cancer therapy can be mildly annoying or can lead to a severe and life-threatening situation.