/ Updated March 12th, 2024

Chemotherapy Side Effects For Ovarian Cancer: Explained

Creator: Dr. Marta Crispens
Published: 2020-05-26T23:47:14-04:00

Medical Source: Dr. Marta Crispens
Vanderbilt University Medical Center

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Side Effects Of Chemotherapy

Carboplatin and Paclitaxel are chemotherapy drugs given to ovarian cancer patients
Nausea, vomiting, and low blood cell counts are side effects that can be controlled
Women may experience flu-like symptoms for a week after starting chemotherapy, but symptoms will subside
Doctors closely monitor and manage patients’ reactions to chemotherapy

Before start chemotherapy for ovarian cancer treatment, some women may be wondering what side effects they’ll experience in response to the new therapies. Dr. Marta Crispens, a gynecologic oncologist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, breaks down what patients should expect.

For women taking chemotherapy drugs Carboplatin and Paclitaxel, their blood cell counts may lower which may cause them to be suscetible to infection and bleeding. To manage this side effect, patients will be given blood transfusions. Other side effects include nausea and vomiting, but Dr. Crispens says new medications help control those responses easily. One major side effect to chemotherapies is hair loss, which occurs around the second treatment. Dr. Crispens encourages women to prepare for hair loss by proactively purchasing a head covering or wig.

Nausea, fatigue, and other flu-like symptoms are also common once starting chemotherapy, and may last up to a week. Once adjusting to the new treatment, these symptoms will wear off and patients will start feeling better. However, one side effect that could be permanent due to chemotherapy is neuropathy â which is tingling and numbness in the hands in feet.

“Other things can certainly injure the kidneys or liver, but we monitor that very closely like we monitor blood counts at the beginning of every cycle,” Dr. Crispens explains. “You could have an allergic reaction to the medication. That’s one of the reasons why chemotherapy infusions are typically given in a fusion unit, where the nurse is right there to monitor everything. So, if you do have that kind of reaction, they’re right there to take care of it. It can be very scary, but usually those are manageable.”

One important thing that patients taking chemotherapy drugs should keep in mind is that patients can still develop other cancers after going through chemotherapy.

How To Cope With Hair Loss During Chemotherapy

Hair loss is often inevitable when going through chemotherapy treatments, and for many women, it can be a blow to their self-esteem and a constant reminder of their medical status. However, there are ways women can cope with the side effect and make the transition easier.

Some women choose to cut their hair very short or even shave their head before their hair starts falling out in order to avoid witnessing it. Whether women to choose to shave their head before, or don’t, women might consider buying a wig or head cover before starting their treatment.

For women who would like to keep some of their hair during chemotherapy, cooling caps can be an effective tool. The caps, which are tightly fitting and strap on helmet-style, are filled with a gel coolant that's chilled to between -15 to -40 degrees Fahrenheit. They work by narrowing the blood vessels beneath the skin of the scalp, reducing the amount of chemotherapy medicine that reaches the hair follicles, which can make the hair less likely to fall out.

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Marta A. Crispens, MD, is director, division of gynecologic oncology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Read More

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