Side Effects Of Treatments For Multiple Myeloma

Cancer treatment generally destroys both the healthy as well as the harmful tissues present in the body or the affected part. Radiation therapy is the main cause for this as the powerful rays bombard the region that is affected to such an extent that the harmful along with a number of healthy cells are destroyed. The side effects that occur due to these treatments may not always be the same for every person and may vary from sitting to sitting. Your doctor and counselor will give you the required information pertaining to your treatment and help you understand the approach that you need to take while you undergo them.

The basic treatment categories are as follows:

- Cancer fighting drugs:

The effects of these drugs depend mainly on the drugs or compounds used as well as the dosage of the medication being taken. These drugs have the tendency to destroy both the healthy as well as harmful cells and thus pose a series of problems to those who are under treatment. The main side effects that are related to the use of cancer fighting drugs are as follows: bleeding, loss of hair, nausea an ulcers lining the mouth as well as conditions like rashes, headaches, blurred vision and lung problems.

- Transplantation of stem cells

Basically when a person is picked out for stem cell transplantation it is safe to assume that he/she is being subjected to high and liberal doses of radiation and chemotherapy. Increased risk of bleeding, instances of GVHD where in the transferred cells affect the liver, digestive tract as well as the skin causing problems in the long run. There is also an increased risk of infection during this process due to the high probability of being transplanted with affected stem cells. You may be prone to infections all of a sudden due to the comparatively low strength of your immune system. You should avoid public places for the above reason as well as you should see a doctor immediately when the first signs of the infection occur.

- Bone pains and thinning of the bones in the body

MM causes a buildup of plasma cells in the body thus making a person susceptible to joint pains as well as due to the action of these harmful MM cells an individual's bones begin turning brittle as these cells cause the calcium in the bones to detach themselves from the bone and get into the bloodstream. This increased level of calcium in your blood may cause nausea, loss of appetite as well as dehydration.

- Mental stress

Fighting cancer is not an easy task and the treatment is not at the snap of the fingers it takes time for the treatment to set in before the actual effects can be seen. Mental stress is another side effect of this disease as due to the umpteenth number of treatments being used on the patient a number of undesirable changes occur like the loss of hair, loss in weight etc. these factors affect the social image of an individual and thus bring out mental illness in the patient under consideration.