Chemotherapy has long been considered to be a mainstay for cancer therapy since it can improve the quality of life for patients suffering from cancer. It is a routine procedure which millions of cancer patients undergo every year. Although chemotherapy is regularly used and is considered quite safe, it can induce several side effects for the patient undergoing this procedure.

We all understand that chemotherapy is a series of drug treatments which is routinely given to several types of cancer but it is also uncommonly known to be used for other diseases. Basically chemotherapy drugs act systemically and travel throughout the bloodstream. Chemotherapy drugs act against abnormal malignant cells in the body plus support the normal cells thus eradicating the cancer. Usually a lot of chemotherapy treatment side effects vanish when the treatment is terminated but once in a while there are several side effects that linger for quite long and sometimes become permanent.

Based on several clinical studies, a majority of patients undergoing chemotherapy usually feel a difference in tasting. These patients complain that their mouths continuously taste quite metallic. This causes these patients to not have an appetite for sweet food or even the opposite of not desiring sweet food at all.

Another usual side effect from chemotherapy which lasts quite long is tiredness and fatigue. Patients undergoing extensive periods of chemotherapy usually were administered large doses of chemotherapy drugs. This may have caused extended periods of decreased resistance to injections.

Although it does not happen too often, chemotherapy treatment can induce infertility in patients, either temporarily or even permanently. This condition entirely depends on other health factors such as the type of cancer they are suffering and the patient’s age. Infertility as a side effect of chemotherapy can happen to men and women equally so it is important that patient have a basic understanding of the risk of chemotherapy before undergoing it.

Several organs can also be affected by chemotherapy. It has been documented to damage vital organs such as the lungs and even the heart. Subsequently, the prolonged side effects due to lung and heart damage include serious ailments such as restrictive lung disease and pulmonary fibrosis.