Side effects and their intensity vary greatly from person to person and treatment to treatment. Remember that not all women get side effects, and some women get few. Make sure to ask your health care provider which side effects are likely to occur with your chemotherapy, how long they might last, how serious they might be, and when you should seek medical attention for them.

Because cancer cells grow and divide rapidly, anticancer drugs are made to kill fast-growing cells. But certain normal, healthy cells also multiply quickly, and chemotherapy can affect those cells, too. When it does, side effects may result. The most common side effects of chemotherapy include nausea and vomiting, hair loss, fatigue, and susceptibility to infection.