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Question: Does treatment cause side effects?

Answer: Many treatments are very well-tolerated. But treatment can cause side effects because cancer cells are very much like normal cells. So to kill cancer cells, you often risk damaging normal cells or tissues. This is different from other illnesses like bacterial infections for instance. Because bacteria are completely different from your body’s cells, antibiotics can kill them and not affect you very much.

Normal cells that are often damaged by cancer treatment include hair follicles, cells in the bone marrow that form new blood cells, and cells that line the mouth, digestive tract, and reproductive system. Damage to these cells cause side effects such as hair loss, fatigue, anemia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and changes in sexual function and fertility. Your healthcare team can help you know what side effects to expect, when to report them, and how to manage them.

(Source: University of Rochester Medical Center, 03 Aug 2025)

Source Link: https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content?contenttypeid=35&contentid=FAQGeneralCancer