Chemotherapy is a common cancer treatment for many different types of cancers. Chemotherapy utilizes drugs in order to directly kill cancer cells. These cancer-destroying cells are sometimes called antineoplastics or simply "anti-cancer drugs." There are over 100 different types of drugs out there nowadays that are used in order to conduct chemotherapy. As with any type of medical treatment, there is the possibility of dangerous side effects as a result of chemotherapy.
Anaphylaxis
One dangerous side effect of chemotherapy is anaphylaxis, a severe reaction that needs immediate medical attention. Anaphylaxis can cause low blood pressure, shock and even fatality. Some symptoms of anaphylaxis include rash, swelling, systemic reactions, hives, flushing and breathing problems.
Risks
Some common dangerous side effects and risks associated with chemotherapy treatment are infection, fever (these were the most common causes for hospitalization and emergency room trips), dehydration, electrolyte disorders, and also low platelet or white blood-cell count.
Leukemia
Chemotherapy treatments can also increase the possibility of leukemia in an individual (particularly for chemotherapy for breast cancer treatment). According to Dr. Carol Kaplan from the Breast Cancer Organization, this is because certain chemotherapy treatments are connected to permanent bone marrow toxicity, which can cause leukemia or a pre-leukemic diagnosis like myelodysplastic syndrome.
Negative Effects
There are various other negative side effects associated with chemotherapy treatment. These possibly dangerous side effects include heart disorders, muscle pain, nerve pain, decrease in red blood-cell count, and neuropathy or other damage to the central nervous system.
Drug Combinations
Some chemotherapy drug combinations have been known to have the potential to cause deadly complications. The combination of the drugs doxorubicin and docetaxel, according to "The Journal of the American Medical Association," has been known to cause neutropenia, which is a chemotherapy complication that results from lessened immune white blood cells and fever. Neutropenia has been known to result in death.
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