Mesothelioma chemotherapy drugs work by selectively targeting and killing the rapidly growing cell of the mesothelioma tumor. Unfortunately however these drugs also tend to affect the normal healthy rapidly dividing cells of the body leading to the death of normal healthy tissues in the body thereby causing side effects. These side effects causes a lot of anxiety in cancer patients although they might not as bad as you will expect.
The normal cells most likely to be affected are blood forming cells in the bone marrow, hair follicles; and cells in the mouth, digestive tract, and reproductive system. Some chemo drugs can damage cells in the heart, kidneys, bladder, lungs, and nervous system. In some cases, medicines called cytoprotective drugs may be given with the chemo to protect the body's normal cells.
The side effects of chemotherapy depend on the type and dose of drugs you are given and on how long they are used for. These side effects can include:
* hair loss
* mouth sores
* loss of appetite
* nausea and vomiting
* increased chance of infections (due to low white blood cell counts)
* easy bruising or bleeding (due to low blood platelet counts)
* fatigue (due to low red blood cell counts)
These side effects are usually short-term and go away after treatment is finished. There are often ways to lessen these side effects.
One of the commonest side effects of chemotherapy is hair loss also known as alopecia.This can be devastating experience, especially in women. Not all chemo drugs will make you lose your hair. Some people have mild thinning that they only notice. Your doctor will be able to tell you if your medicines are likely to make you lose your hair.
When you lose hair during treatments it will usually grow back after treatment although it might be of different color or texture.
You can lose your hair on all parts of your body, not just your head. Facial hair, including eyelashes and eyebrows; arm and leg hair; underarm hair; and pubic hair all may be affected. It usually doesn't happen right away. More often, hair loss begins after a few treatments. At that point, your hair may fall out slowly or in clumps. Any hair that remains may become dull and dry.
These following steps will help to reduce hair loss when you are on chemotherapy:
* Use mild shampoos.
* Use soft hair brushes.
* Use low heat if you must use a hair dryer.
* Don't use brush rollers to set your hair.
* Don't dye your hair or get a perm.
* Have your hair cut short. A shorter style will make your hair look thicker and fuller. It also will make hair loss easier to deal with if it does happen.
* Use a sunscreen, hat, scarf, or wig to protect your scalp from the sun.
* Use a satin pillowcase.
Sometimes, either during the regrowth of your hair or when you are bald, your scalp may feel extra tender, dry, and itchy. Keeping your scalp clean by using a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner may help. Use gentle creams or lotions on your scalp as needed. Even a gentle scalp massage may make your scalp feel better.
After chemo, it is advised that you wait till your hair returns to normal before you use hair dyes,{this takes about 6 months after completion of treatment}as hair dyes are known to contain chemicals like peroxide that can damage the hair and chemotherapy might make the damage worse.
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