Cancer & Anemia
Red blood cells carry oxygen to every part of our body. If we don't have enough oxygen, our muscles and organs can't function properly, and we get fatigued. Not having enough red blood cells -- called anemia -- is common in people who have received chemotherapy for cancer. Chemotherapy kills normal cells as well as cancer cells and commonly causes anemia by destroying red blood cells just as it kills hair follicles to cause hair loss. Fortunately, chemotherapy-related anemia is treatable. There are drugs available to boost the production of red blood cells, replenishing your body's oxygen supply and restoring your vitality.