What is Chemotherapy Treatment?

For the millions of people who are diagnosed with cancer each year, the word "chemotherapy" is as common to them as their own name. It may also be the treatment, or one of the treatments, that saves their lives. Though chemotherapy has many benefits, it also has many drawbacks. There are numerous side effects, some of which are easily treated and others that are more complex to avoid. Knowing the ins and outs of chemo is vital when choosing a course of treatment for cancer.

Significance

• There are currently more than 100 chemotherapy drugs, all with a variety of chemical compositions, used to destroy or block the growth of rapidly growing and dividing cancer cells. It can be used as the primary treatment or in combination with other treatments including surgery and radiation. Though it's most commonly known to treat cancer, chemotherapy is also used for other health conditions, such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.

In Treating Cancer

• When used to treat various forms of cancer, chemotherapy has a variety of purposes depending on the cancer and what the doctor feels is the most effective treatment for the patient. Its most common purpose is to kill cancer cells and is sometimes used as the sole treatment with the goal of curing the cancer.

  When used in combination with other treatments, such as surgery, it is used to kill any remaining cells the surgery didn't excise. There are situations when it's required to prepare the body for other treatments, such as radiation or surgery, by shrinking the tumors, which helps make the other treatments more effective. In more advanced stages of cancer, it is used as a form of comfort care to relieve pain.

Non-Cancerous Treatment

• Those who are diagnosed with an immune disorder, such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, may receive a low dose of chemotherapy to help control their immune systems and diseases. In instances when a disease affects the bone marrow and blood cells, and a bone marrow stem cell transplant is the course of treatment, doctors will often opt to use chemotherapy first to prepare the bone marrow stem cell for the transplant.

Drug Determination

• The doctor weighs a number of factors before choosing the specific drug or drugs he will use for your treatment: your overall health, the type and stage of your cancer, if you have had any previous treatments for cancer and your preferences. It is important to keep yourself as involved in the decision-making process when it comes to your treatment plan. While your doctor can guide you and advise you, it is your body and you have the final say. There are many prescription drugs to choose from, such as taxotere, which is used to treat lung and prostate cancer; while epirubicin is used to treat both breast and prostate cancer.

Administration

• There a number of ways chemotherapy treatments can be administered. The most common means is through a vein, or intravenously. If you have skin caner, you may be prescribed a cream such as Fluorouracil which can be applied to the area of skin affected by the cancer.

  Localized chemotherapy involves injecting the drugs directly into the area of the body where the cancer is located, such as the abdomen, chest cavity or bladder. The drugs can also be inserted directly into the cancer itself, such as injecting them directly in to the tumor. In addition, pills such as Tamoxifen for breast cancer, and Endoxen for Hodgkin's Disease, can both be taken orally.

Common Side Effects

• Every drug used for chemotherapy treatment has its own set of side effects, all of which should be discussed with your doctor before beginning your treatment. They include constipation, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, mouth sores, hair loss, fever, fatigue, loss of appetite and bruising easily. These side effects typically end once your treatment does, or shortly thereafter.

Late-Developing Side Effects

• There are some side effects of chemotherapy treatments that may not develop until months or years after the treatments have been administered and are finished. Before beginning your treatments, ask your doctor what your risk factors are for these side effects and what the signs of them may be. They include heart problems, infertility, nerve damage, damage to lung tissue and a chance of developing a second cancer.