Cancer treatments are very powerful. Treatments that remove or destroy cancer cells are likely to damage healthy cells, too. That's why treatments often cause side effects. This section describes some of the side effects of each kind of treatment.

Side effects may not be the same for each person, and they may even change from one treatment session to the next. Before treatment starts, your health care team will explain possible side effects and how they can be managed. It may help to know that although some side effects may not go away completely, most of them become less troubling.

It may also help to talk with other patients. A social worker, nurse, or other member of the medical team can set up a visit with someone who has had the same treatment.

The NCI provides helpful booklets about cancer treatments and coping with side effects, such as Radiation Therapy and You ¹ and Eating Hints for Cancer Patients ². See the “National Cancer Institute Information Resources ³” and “National Cancer Institute Booklets ⁴” sections for other sources of information about side effects.