Is chemotherapy working if there are no side effects?

 

Ask a Question

Q: My father had his first chemo treatment a week ago and has not shown any of the side effects we were told to look for. Does this mean the chemo is not working?

A: The presence, or absence, of side effects is not an indication of whether chemotherapy is working. Some people experience no side effects; others have significant trouble with them. Side effects may begin gradually and worsen as treatment progresses, or start out as severe and lessen with time.

Health care providers prepare patients and families by discussing possible side effects. The actual side effects that occur (if any) depend upon the type of chemotherapy drug or drugs, the amount given, and the individual’s own physical response to the medication. Many newer drugs produce fewer or less severe side effects.

--Kathy Newman, RN, BSN

Get acquainted with the possible side effects of cancer treatment and how they can be managed.

Latest Cancer News
Blacks Have Higher Rate of Colon Polyps

October 14, 2008 — Black individuals have a higher rate of colon polyps (larger than 9 mm) than white individuals, as found on screening colonoscopy. These results were recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Moderate Red Wine Consumption Decreases Risk of Lung Cancer

October 13, 2008 — Researchers affiliated with the California Men’s Health Study have reported that moderate red wine consumption reduces the risk of developing lung cancer, but no such effect was observed with other types of alcohol. The details of this study appeared in the October 1, 2008 issue of Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention.

Penile Carcinoma Associated with Human Papilloma Virus Infection

October 13, 2008 — Researchers from the Netherlands have reported that 65% of squamous cell carcinomas of the penis were positive for human papilloma virus (HPV) in a population of uncircumcised men. The details of this study appeared in the October 1, 2008 issue of Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention.

Select news items provided by Reuters Health