While we have made enormous strides in treating cancer with chemotherapy over the last couple of decades, myths and misunderstandings about it still remain. Let’s separate facts from fiction.
Chemo will make you sick.
This was true 20 years ago. Patients can now take medicines before chemotherapy to prevent nausea and vomiting.
MYTH: If you don’t lose your hair during chemotherapy, it’s not working.
Not every patient experiences it. It depends on the type of chemo as well as the combination of drugs. Also, patients can now go for targeted medicines that influence specific cells. With these drugs, there is usually no hair loss.
MYTH: Your cancer must be really bad if your doctor ordered chemo.
This is not true at all. Sometimes chemo is given to shrink a tumor before surgery, sometimes it is given to control disease and keep a patient stable.
MYTH: Chemo will drastically affect your entire life.
Absolutely not. The drastic side effects that patients experienced years ago are not at all common today, thanks to medical advancements.
MYTH: You won’t be able to have children after chemo.
Women can now take medications that suppress ovarian function and thus sparing a patient’s fertility.
MYTH: Your immunity will be compromised during chemo.
From a medical point of view, there is a reduction in white blood cell count, however, it is not significant enough to put a patient at a greater risk of viral infections nor does it continue for a long period of time.