Side Effects
Side effects are problems that happen when your breast cancer treatment affects healthy tissues or organs. There are many different types of side effects, and whether they occur depends on a variety of factors. Some can be short-term, while others last longer. Many side effects are connected to specific medicines, regiments or therapies.
For many people, side effects are among the most distressing parts of breast cancer treatment. But today there are many ways to prevent and manage side effects. Talking openly with your providers can help you. In this section, we discuss different side effects, when and how likely they are to occur and the treatments connected to them. You will also learn ways to prevent side effects, if possible, and methods to manage or treat them. We also give you tips to describe side effects, as well as ways to start a conversation with your providers.
Learn more in this section about:
- Bone Loss
- Bone Pain
- Chemobrain
- Depression
and Anxiety
- Fear of Recurrence
- Hair Loss
- Hand-Foot Syndrome
- Heart Health
- Insomnia
and Fatigue
- Lymphedema
- Menopausal Symptoms
- Mouth Sores
- Nail and Skin Changes
- Nausea
and Vomiting
- Neuropathy
- Neutropenia
- Secondary Cancers
- Pain
- Sexual Side Effects
- Recently Diagnosed
- Your Medical Needs
- Coping With the News
- What Is Breast Cancer?
- Who Gets Breast Cancer?
- Your Medical Team
- How Cancer Is Staged
- Your Treatment Options
- Genetic Testing
- Tests You May Have
- Your Pathology Report
- Your Emotional Concerns
- Lifestyle and Practical Matters
- Your Voices
- LBBC Resources
- Your Medical Needs
- In Treatment
- Your Medical Needs
- Your Treatment Options
- Surgery
- Available Schedules of Radiation Therapy
- Chemotherapy
- Common Regimens
- Hormonal Therapy
- Importance of Menopausal Status
- Partial Breast Radiation
- Radiation Therapy
- Targeted Therapies for Hormone-Positive Breast Cancer
- Targeted Therapy
- Targeted Therapy for HER2-Positive Breast Cancer
- Types of Chemotherapy
- Types of Hormonal Therapy
- What Is Hormonal Therapy
- Whole Breast Radiation
- Treatment Side Effects
- Treating Lymphedema
- Bone Loss
- Bone Pain
- Chemobrain
- Depression and Anxiety
- Hair Loss
- Hand-Foot Syndrome
- Insomnia and Fatigue
- Lymphedema
- Lymphedema Risk
- Managing Insomnia and Fatigue
- Menopausal Symptoms
- Mouth Sores
- Nail and Skin Changes
- Nausea and Vomiting
- Neuropathy
- Neutropenia
- Pain
- Secondary Cancers
- Sexual Side Effects
- What are the Treatments for Insomnia and Fatigue?
- Your Treatment Options
- Your Emotional Concerns
- Lifestyle and Practical Matters
- Your Voices
- LBBC Resources
- Your Medical Needs
- Living With a History of Breast Cancer
- Your Medical Needs
- Survivorship Care Plans
- Genetic Counseling
- When to Have Follow-Up Visits
- Genetics and Family Risk
- Genetic Test Results and What They Mean
- Genetic Testing
- Genetic Testing and Your Relationships
- Sharing Your Genetic Test Results At Work
- Sharing Your Genetic Test Results With Family
- Signs Breast Cancer May Be BRCA-Related
- Your Emotional Concerns
- Lifestyle and Practical Matters
- Your Voices
- LBBC Resources
- Your Medical Needs
- Living With Metastatic Breast Cancer
- Your Medical Needs
- Coping With Your Diagnosis
- Understanding Metastatic Breast Cancer
- Second Opinions and MBC
- Your Treatment Options
- Treatment Side Effects
- Bone Health and MBC
- Bone Pain and MBC
- Depression and Anxiety and MBC
- Hair Loss and MBC
- Hand-Foot Syndrome and MBC
- Insomnia and Fatigue and MBC
- Menopausal Symptoms and MBC
- Mouth Sores and MBC
- Nail and Skin Changes and MBC
- Nausea and Vomiting and MBC
- Neuropathy and MBC
- Neutropenia and MBC
- Pain and MBC
- Your Emotional Concerns
- Lifestyle and Practical Matters
- Hear My Voice Program
- Your Voices
- LBBC Resources
- Your Medical Needs
- A Young Woman
- Your Medical Needs
- The Basics: Breast Cancer and Young Women
- Breast Reconstruction
- Ovarian Suppression
- Ovarian Ablation
- Early Menopause
- Bone Health
- Genetics and Family Risk
- Sex and Intimacy
- Fertility and Future Pregnancy
- Getting Pregnant
- Pregnant With Breast Cancer
- Breastfeeding After Treatment
- Treatments and Research
- Side Effects
- Clinical Trials
- Your Emotional Concerns
- Lifestyle and Practical Matters
- Let's Talk About It Video Series
- Young Advocate Program
- Your Voices
- More Resources For You
- Get Connected with YWI
- Your Medical Needs
- Diagnosed With Hormone Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer
- Diagnosed With HER2-Positive Breast Cancer
- Diagnosed With Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
- LGBT With Breast Cancer
- African-American
- A Man Diagnosed with Breast Cancer
- A Caregiver
- A Healthcare Provider