Common Chemotherapy Treatments
Chemotherapy is a treatment for cancer that uses drugs to destroy cancer cells. While only one cancer drug may be used for some individuals, the use of a combination of different cancer drugs is more commonly used for treatment. Chemotherapy treatments may be combined with radiation therapy, surgery or both. Patients often have to take chemotherapy drugs both before and after surgery. Anti-cancer drugs can be administered in several different ways. Some cancer patients receive oral chemotherapy in which case they take medications in the form of pills or liquids by mouth. Other people receive chemotherapy intravenously which means that cancer drugs are infused into the bloodstream over a course of minutes or hours.
Other Chemotherapy Treatments
Cancer drugs can also be given slowly and continuously over the course of several days by way of an implanted pump. This type of treatment allows for a higher concentration of the drug where it is needed, and is frequently used for people who have failed to respond to standard chemotherapy treatments. Intracavitary chemotherapy is another treatment option in which the drugs are infused directly into a particular area of the body, usually into the body cavities affected by cancers in the chest or abdomen. Doctors first surgically remove the cancerous tumors, and then administer chemotherapy while the patient is still in the operating room. In yet other cases, anticancer drugs may be applied to the skin in the form of a topical cream or lotion. This type of chemotherapy is used to treat skin cancers, which have affected only the top layer of skin.
Treatment Plans
A patient's health care team determines which kind of chemotherapy treatment is right for the individual, as depending on the type of cancer a person has, the disease can affect the body in different ways. A treatment plan that works well for one person may not be what is best for another person's situation. The only thing that the different kinds of cancer have in common is the abnormal cell growth. Treatments may be required once each day, once a week, or perhaps just once a month. Again, how long a patient must take chemotherapy depends on the type of cancer the person has, in addition to how well he responds to treatment. Considering the intensity of any side effects, some people are able to carry on with their normal daily routines while receiving chemotherapy treatments. Other individuals may need to be in the hospital while undergoing chemotherapy so that they can be treated for certain side effects.
Side Effects
While some people may experience no side effects from chemotherapy, others can get quite sick following treatments. The overall state of a person's health can also affect how she responds to the chemo drugs. Particular cancer drugs are rather strong and, therefore, damage some of the body's healthy cells in the treatment process. Chemotherapy treatments can cause side effects including nausea, fatigue, hair loss and anemia. Dry skin and mouth, diarrhea, vomiting and easy bruising are other side effects, which some people suffer. Since certain chemotherapy drugs can affect other organs of the body, a physician may order blood tests to help him decide if a patient may need a lower dose of the drugs, or longer periods in between the administration of doses. Fortunately, new drugs are reducing the severity of many of the potential side effects. Taking medications before and during chemotherapy helps some people to keep from vomiting. Drugs given as injections or through an IV line aid in the production of white blood cells in the bone marrow following chemotherapy treatments. In cases where a person's red blood cell count is extremely low, the oncologist may order a blood transfusion to correct the problem temporarily.
Tags: side effects, some people, cancer drugs, cancer person, chemotherapy drugs, different ways