The Side Effects of Chemotherapy: Here’s What to Expect

New treatments for cancer are exciting and promising, but that doesn’t mean chemotherapy isn’t still saving lives every day. Chemotherapy is one of the original cancer treatments, and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon.

While chemotherapy can be effective and life-saving, it does come with side effects due to how it works. Chemotherapy is a class of drugs that target rapidly dividing cells in the body, which includes both cancer cells and some normal, healthy cells. In this video, learn some common side effects associated with chemotherapy according to Ashish Saxena, MD, oncologist at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian.

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Written by:

Lauren Smith, MA

Lauren Smith, MA, has worked in health journalism since 2017. Before joining GoodRx, she was the senior health editor and writer for HealthiNation.

Reviewed by:

Alexandra Schwarz, MD

Dr. Schwarz is board eligible Sleep Medicine and board certified Family Medicine physician. She is a member of the AASM and ABFM.

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