This means that side effects such as hair loss, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, and changes in blood counts are more common, but they still do not affect all patients in the same way. Ask your doctor what side effects you should expect from your anticancer drugs. Everyone's body is different you may experience hardly any side effects or you may experience many of them. There is often no way to predict how you as an individual are likely to react until you begin the treatment. Experiencing side effects has nothing to do with whether or not the treatment is working.
People often generalize about radiation therapy, thinking that side effects are all the same.
The side effects associated with radiation will be determined by the area of the body being treated and the amount of radiation used. Today, thanks to modern technology, even this is avoidable. The most common side effect associated with radiation therapy is fatigue, especially if treatments last for five or six weeks. This is due to the actual treatment effects combined with the physical and emotional strain of daily visits to the hospital. As with all cancer treatments, ask your doctor in advance what to expect so you will be better prepared and will know what to do if you experience side effects.