Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy definition refers to the chemical binding and killing the tumor cells and microbes. The word chemotherapy was first used by Paul Ehrlich. Chemotherapy is mainly used in the matters related to oncology. Oncology is the study related to cancer and chemotherapy uses a drug to treat cancer. Chemotherapy is sometimes used in the abridged form as chemo.

Usually chemotherapy definition drugs are used in two ways. Either they are given by injecting the drugs into the vein, which is also known as chemotherapy IV, or they are given to the patient by injecting the drug into the muscle also known as chemotherapy IM. In some rare cases chemotherapeutic drugs are also taken orally. Chemotherapy treatment actually involves the flow of drugs into different parts of the body through the bloodstream.

Chemotherapy definition says that it is a procedure which is very painful and difficult. The people who have to receive the chemotherapeutic drugs in veins at a regular interval may have to use catheter. Catheter is a flexible and a thin tube whose one end is positioned in the chest’s large veins and its other end is either placed outside the body or is attached to the small device just under the skin. Thus catheter is very helpful in giving the anticancer drugs.

Chemotherapy definition says that cancer follows a cyclical treatment. The cycle consist of the period of treatment followed by the period of revival and then again by the period of treatment and so on and so forth. Depending on the health and the type of drugs given to the patient at the time of chemotherapy the patient may be admitted to the hospital. But generally this therapy is either given from the doctor’s clinic or office or at home.

As per the chemotherapy definition on one hand it involves the treatment of the dangerous disease where as on the other hand it also involves several side effects. Chemotherapy side effects mainly occur due the several drugs and their doses. When the anticancer drug enters our body it rapidly divides different cells inside our body such as blood cells which fight against the infection and at the same time the blood clots and carries oxygen to other parts of the body. But when the anti cancer drug affects these blood cells the patient become vulnerable to various types of infection. They develop bruise, start bleeding easily and suffer from lack of energy.

Apart from these the chemotherapy definition also states that the process includes dividing the cell lines around the digestive tract. Besides the above mentioned side effects the chemotherapeutic drugs may also result in lack of appetite, hair loss, vomiting and nausea and mouth sores. In some cases it is seen even that people also lose their fertility during this treatment. However some people are prescribed with medicines to deal with the side effects. Once the treatment stops or once the patient gets cured the side effects automatically disappears.