Lung cancer kills more people in the United States than any other type of cancer. Lung cancer deaths exceed those of breast, colon, prostate and lymph combined. However, there are medical means to confront lung cancer, and chemotherapy is one of them. It can be effective and life prolonging, but it can also cause side effects, including hair loss and low blood counts, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Lung Cancer Chemo Drugs
Chemo, or chemical therapy, can consist of one drug or it can be a combination of drugs. Generally, it is a two-drug (or more) combination, according to the online website Oncology Channel. The following list of most often used chemo drugs in the treatment of lung cancer: Adriamycin, Gemzar, Ifex, Navelbine, Oncovine, Paraplatin, Platinol, Taxol, Taxotere, VP-16 and VePesid.
Most Common Side Effects
According to the American Cancer Society, the most common side effects you can experience while undergoing chemotherapy can include: nausea and vomiting, fatigue, hair loss, an increased risk of bruising and bleeding, as well as infection or anemia. But side effects will vary per person and are determined by what drugs are used (or combinations), dosage levels, as well as other factors including length and duration of treatment and overall health at time of treatment.
Anemia
Chemotherapy frequently causes anemia (a reduction of red blood cells in the body), according to the online Oncology Channel website. This red blood cell decline can result in the chemo-treated individual experiencing shortness of breath, extreme fatigue and dizziness. Fortunately, there are prescription synthetic hormones (Procrit and Epogen), which can stimulate red blood cell production in individuals who experience anemia due to chemotherapy.
Combination Chemo Effects
While most of the toxic side effects produced by chemotherapy can be managed, some are still experienced. One of these is neutropenia, which is the reduction of the body's white blood cells. In addition, another side effect caused by a combination of chemo drugs is thrombocytopenia, which is the reduction of blood-clotting platelets. Without an adequate amount of blood-clotting platelets, our body is unable to halt bleeding in life-threatening situations.
Resistance Effect
If an individual has a history of chemotherapy, there is the probability that chemotherapy as a current cancer treatment option may not be as successful. Such individuals do not usually respond well to more chemotherapy according to the online Oncology Channel website. This side effect of chemo resistance can result in the need to find other possible treatment options, possibly limiting an individual's ability to fight lung cancer more successfully. However, newer drugs like Taxol and Hycamtin can be considered in these cases.
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