Dear Dr Heshu Rahman,

Chemotherapy damages dividing cells in the body. However, normal cells can replace or repair the healthy cells damaged by chemotherapy. Therefore, the damage to normal cells usually does not last. Mot side effects slowly disappear after the treatment ends. The time it takes for the side effects to disappear and regain energy depends on several factors, and varies between individuals. The overall health, and the medicines that are given to the patient also influence the time that it takes to recover from some side effects. Some side effects such as sickness and diarrhea occur only when a patient is taking the drugs. Many side effects appear to go away fairly quickly. On the other hand, some side effects may linger for months or even years before complete disappearance. Some side effects can last for life, for instance when chemotherapy causes long term organ damage. Sometimes, certain forms of chemotherapy might cause delayed effects such as second cancer, which may be expressed many years after chemotherapy.

Many thanks dear Kandaswami.

Chemotherapy for treating different types of cancer cause both short and long term side effects.However, occurrence of various side effects and their intensity depend on many factors ans also vary among individuals. Parts of the body like mouth, intestines, skin, hair, bone marrow, etc. where normal cells divide frequently are likely to be affected by chemotherapy. Some side effects don't do any lasting harm and will gradually go away after treatment finishes;some are inconvenient or upsetting but are not damaging to health while some are serious medical conditions that need further treatment..Survivors often complain that they can't get over feeling tired, regardless of how much sleep they get. Steroid drugs used to treat certain cancers may increase blood glucose levels (hyperglycemia) in some who do not have diabetes.Patients, whose cancer treatments are designed to eliminate the sex hormones that many cancers need to grow may experience side effects like decreased sex drive, Memory loss, anaemia, decreased muscle mass, depression. Chemotherapy may cause infertility in both sexes. In women, chemotherapies with alkylating agents such as cyclophosphamide can damage the ovaries, resulting in irregular or absent menstrual periods. Men with colorectal or genitourinary cancers who have had chemotherapy with alkylating and methylating agents, vinca alkaloid, antimetabolite, and platinum. are at increased risk of infertility. Also there is possibility of recurring cancer (metastasize) or developing secondary cancers.