Chemotherapy

Both chemotherapy and radiation are treatments for cancer and they help to alleviate the pain of cancer. Let us study in particular the two different processes and the side effects of these treatments.

Radiation Cancer Therapy
Radiation is also used to treat cancer. It helps in reducing the size of a tumor and this helps to take the pressure off from the nerves and organs that the tumor was touching. Cancer spreading to the bones, spine, nerves, blood vessels and the brain cause tremendous pain and the radiation therapy is used to lessen the pain.

Radiation oncologists are the specialists who treat these special cases and give radiation to the patients. Radiation is also performed by implanting a radioactive material into the body for some time and during its stay in the body, it kills the cancer cells. This process is called implantation.

Side Effects of Radiation Therapy

The side effects from radiation therapy given to cancer patients include redness of the skin and also irritation of the skin. A discussion with the radiation oncologist would reveal that proper skin creams may cause some ease to the irritated skin. There are some other side effects which depend on the area that receives the radiation. Of course radiation can also be the cause of pain and discomfort for the patents suffering from cancer.

Chemotherapy
This is basically a treatment for cancer which is used in stabilizing tumors or reducing the size of tumors and this may cure the pain even though a cure is not envisaged. For the reduction of pain the drugs are as follows.

• Lupron - leuprolide is used to treat pancreatic cancer
• Gemzar – gemcitabine is used for treatment and lessening of pain in advanced cancer of the pancreas
• Zoladex - goserelin acetate implant, this is used in combination
• Novantrone – mitoxantrone – this is used in combination with corticosteroids for reducing pain of prostratic cancer.
• Samarium sm 153 – this is used for cancer that has reached the bones and for bone metastases.

Chemotherapy can also cause pain in the patients suffering from cancer and there are other side effects from these diseases and the application of chemotherapy.

These include mouth sores. This can be treated by keeping the mouth very clean, using soft toothpaste, and the avoidance of carbonated beverages, hot foods, and also using medicated mouth washes.

There are tingling sensations called pins and needles in hands and feet because of some chemotherapy drugs that cause a lot of damage to the nerves. So when some patients use drugs that can cause neuropathy, the medications and drugs to be sued as an antidote can be discussed before taking the chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy often caused nausea and vomiting in patients and the use of such wonder drugs like Kytril and Zofran would stop the nausea and vomiting. Of course if these medicines do not work for some patients, there are other medicines to be tried out.
The effects of chemotherapy like constipation and diarrhea can also be treated.

Thus, chemotherapy is the use of specialized drugs for treatment of cancer while radio therapy is the use of ionized radiation for cancer treatment. While anyone who develops a cancer is in need of chemotherapy, radiotherapy need not be given to all types of cancer patients.