Side effects of breast cancer treatment

Common side effects of breast cancer treatment

Here are some of the common side effects that can happen with different breast cancer treatments. Not everyone will experience every side effect. On each page below, we’ll walk you through tips and strategies for managing them if they do happen.

• Anemia
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Diarrhea
• Fear of breast cancer recurrence
• Fertility issues
• Hair loss
• Hand-foot syndrome
• Heart health issues
• High cholesterol
• Insomnia and fatigue
• Lymphedema
• Menopausal symptoms
• Mouth sores
• Nail and skin changes
• Nausea and vomiting
• Neuropathy
• Pain
• Secondary cancers
• Sexual side effects
• Weight gain
• Weight loss

Practical and personal side effects

Breast cancer affects more than just your breasts. It can impact your quality of life: your day-to-day routines and the person you know yourself to be, emotionally and physically.

• Body image: Surgeries such as mastectomy or hair loss from chemotherapy are just some examples of how treatment can change the way you feel about your physical self.
• Emotional side effects: A breast cancer diagnosis and treatment can also have emotional side effects like anxiety, anger, and sadness.
• Fertility: If you are young and premenopausal (still having menstrual periods), breast cancer treatments can affect your ability to get pregnant.

Still, there are many ways to manage body image and emotional issues that can come up, including one-on-one counseling and support groups. You can learn more by visiting our community page.

The effects of different breast cancer treatments on the body

Here are the most common breast cancer treatments that can cause side effects:

• Chemotherapy can cause side effects such as nausea, fatigue, and hair loss.
• HER2-targeted therapies can cause diarrhea, fatigue, and low blood cell counts.
• Radiation therapy are skin changes, breast soreness, and breast swelling.
• Surgery can cause side effects including breast pain, tightness, and swelling, and scar tissue where the incision, or cut, was made.
• Breast reconstruction side effects can sometimes include stiffness and range-of-motion issues, depending on what type of reconstruction you’re having.
• Hormonal therapy can cause side effects that include hot flashes, fatigue, and joint and bone pain.

While there can be many different side effects with different treatments, remember that not everyone experiences every side effect. Your healthcare team can help you prevent or manage the ones that do happen.

Reporting side effects

If you’re experiencing a side effect that’s concerning to you, let your doctor know. Most treatments for breast cancer have well-known side effects. Treatments that are newly approved may have rare side effects.

If you’re trying a newly approved treatment and have a side effect that wasn’t expected, talk with your doctor about the possibility of reporting it to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Reporting rare side effects lets the FDA know about any unexpected risks with a new drug, and can help protect public health. To learn more, visit FDA.

Get the support you need

At LBBC, our mission is to support you wherever you are on your breast cancer journey. That includes our online support groups and our Breast Cancer Helpline where you can be matched with a peer volunteer who has been where you are. Whether you want to talk tips for managing your side effects, or just lean on a community of folks who know what you’re going through, our support resources are there for you.