Read the information we have drawn in the article below to know All about Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy medicines are cytotoxic; these kill the cancer cells by disrupting their cellular growth. The intensity, dosage and medication are decided by the type of cancer and the purpose to administer chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is usually given to:

1. Control the growth of the cancer

2. To cure the cancer
3. To subside some side effects caused by cancer

Chemotherapy is given in cycles. A chemotherapy cycle is a predefined schedule of the drugs to be given. This is colloquially called a Chemotherapy regimen which constitutes the phase of drug introduction followed by a rest period. Oncologists give the drugs in between the rest periods as this concurrently helps the patient to recover from the toxicity of the chemotherapy drugs.

Chemotherapy drugs are infused directly into the veins through which they mix into our blood and are carried at the site of the tumor. Specialists prefer some complementary drugs beforehand to lessen the impact or noxiousness of the chemotherapy drugs. A patient could see his/her doctor as an outpatient by taking their appointment for chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy has an equal bearing on cancer cells and some other normal cells. Similar to cancer cells there are some healthy cells in our body that tend to divide continuously. Chemotherapy drugs often fail to differentiate between the two. In the process of healing it thus depletes some normally functioning cells thereby leading to some common side effects like:

1. Hair Loss: Hair loss or Alopecia is a common phenomenon after chemotherapy. The hair follicle cells that divide to form the epidermal hair tend to divide regularly. The contact of chemotherapy drugs thus depletes these cells resulting in hair fall.
2. Anemia: The chemotherapy drugs affect the bone marrow cells to divide and form the newer blood cells. Anemia is a typical condition of low RBC Count in the body.
3. Bruising and bleeding: A lowering in the total amount of blood platelets may lead to an excessive and uncontrolled bleeding by a minor cut.
4. Lowered immunity to an infection: The body’s capability to fight infections is impaired drastically after the chemotherapy. This is encountered by a drop in WBC cells in the body.
5. Diarrhea: The damage done to gastrointestinal cells might upset the digestive tract. Diarrhea and watery stools are a possible outcome.
6. Nausea and Vomiting: Chemotherapy drugs often induce a feeling of throwing up. Nausea (Feeling sick) Vomiting (Being sick) could be held by taking some anti emetic drugs as suggested by your doctor.
7. Fatigue and weakness: Fatigue and weakness is another symptom of anemia which further pertains to chemotherapy
8. Breathlessness: Anemic patients often have low hemoglobin content in their blood. As a result there are fewer cells to carry oxygen from the lungs to the other body parts. Patients often complain of short breath and air hunger after chemotherapy.

Although, the irregularities outlined above could cause some uneasiness and worries. One should not be disheartened as these side effects are not All about Chemotherapy these subside once the treatment is over. The patient regains normalcy once the chemotherapy drugs have finished their work.