Side Effects of Chemotherapy for Kidney or Urologic Cancer

Cancer may affect the kidneys or the urinary tract (the bladder and related organs) as tumors that arise directly from these organs, or as tumors that have spread to this body system. When chemotherapy is needed, it may be administered systemically (to the overall body system), or for bladder cancer, instilled directly into the bladder. Side effects of chemotherapy may include suppression of the bone marrow with fever and a higher risk of infections or bleeding; nausea and vomiting; and hair loss.

In men, prostate cancer may develop as a disease within the urinary tract. Some prostate tumors may clearly involve only the prostate gland and be so slow-growing as not to pose an urgent threat to health. Others are aggressive, rapidly growing, and spread to other organs. In some cases, a man with prostate cancer may receive treatment with antiandrogens (drugs that oppose the effects of male hormones) to suppress the growth of the tumor. Possible side effects of these drugs include liver damage, breast tenderness, and problems with sexual desire or erections.