Some other common side effects of chemotherapy may include hearing problems, watery eyes and body odours.
Learn more about:
Changes in hearing
Your doctor may recommend that you have a hearing test before you start treatment, and this may be repeated before each treatment cycle.
You may be at risk of losing the ability to hear high-pitched sounds. Some types of chemotherapy drugs may also cause a continuous ringing noise in the ears known as tinnitus.
These changes can happen alone or together and are usually temporary. Let your doctor know if you notice any change in your hearing.
Watery eyes
This can be a symptom of a blocked tear duct, which can be caused by some chemotherapy drugs. Massaging the area regularly with a small towel soaked in warm water (compress) and using eye drops can help clear blockages. Let your cancer care team know if this issue is ongoing.
Body odour
Chemotherapy can affect your sense of smell and you may notice that your body odour is unpleasant. Talk to your cancer care team if you are concerned about a change in body odour.
→ READ MORE: Other drug therapies
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Prof Desmond Yip, Senior Staff Specialist, Department of Medical Oncology, The Canberra Hospital, ANU School of Medicine and Psychology, ANU College of Health & Medicine, The Australian National University, ACT; Gillian Blanchard, Nurse Practitioner, Calvary Mater, Newcastle, NSW; Ken Colbert, Consumer; Laura Collins, Clinical Dietitian, GenesisCare, WA; Karen Gray, Consumer; Kate Lucking, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council SA; Louise Moodie, Director of Dietetics, Mackay Hospital and Health Service, QLD; Dr Shivanshan Pathmanathan, Medical Oncologist, Townsville Cancer Centre, Townsville University Hospital, QLD; Dr Marissa Ryan, Acting Consultant Pharmacist (Cancer), Princess Alexandra Hospital, Woolloongabba, QLD; Jayne Watson, Clinic Nurse Consultant, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC; Stephanie Webster, Consumer.
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