Supportive Care I: Emesis and Infections

Abstract

Cancer treatments are generally not only damaging for the malignant cells, but also for the normal cells as well. Most cytotoxic agents, for instance, are not specific for tumor cells but also affect normal cells, particularly those of rapidly proliferating tissues such as the bone marrow, oral and gastrointestinal epithelia, and skin and hair roots. Thus the classical toxic side effects associated with chemotherapy are hair loss (alopecia), nausea and vomiting (emesis), and reduced production of various forms of blood cells in the bone marrow (myelosuppression). A major component of the myelosuppression that occurs in patients receiving chemotherapy is neutropenia, i.e., a fall below the normal range of the blood neutrophil count. Neutrophils are the predominant type of the form of white blood cells called granulocytes, whose main function is to fight bacterial infections and which is also the main defense mechanism against fungal infections.