Chemotherapy Infusion for Breast Cancer

The chemotherapy infusion method is usually used for the treatment of breast cancer. It is also known as intravenous (IV) infusion. In this method the chemotherapy drugs are directly administered into the blood stream of the individual. The dosage and the schedule of this treatment are determined by the doctor on the basis of the certain important factors such as your overall health condition, stage of the cancer and type of cancer. Besides these, the doctor also considers the hormone level of the individual before undergoing this treatment. It is given in the hospital or clinic by the trained nurses under the supervision of the health care professional.

While administering chemotherapy infusion care is taken to see that the patient suffers from fewer side effects. There are various schedule of the treatment and it depends upon the health of the patient. If the infusion is of a high dose then the next dose is given after a gap of three weeks and if it is of a lower dose then the session is held every week. This decision is taken by the doctor who after proper analysis of the patient’s health takes the final decision.

Some steps are taken before chemotherapy infusion

Before each chemotherapy infusion is administered steps are taken to expose the body to the various drugs. This is done to make the patient adaptable to the chemotherapy. When the exposure to the drugs takes place few normal cells are also affected. The blood count gets affected after each session of the treatment. Hence proper care should be taken to keep the blood count under control. If the pathological reports show that there are some problems then the therapy is stopped for certain time till the patient recovers.

The chemotherapy infusion is given under proper medical supervision in a hospital. Along with the doctors the nurses are also well qualified to handle such cases and patients. They take extra care to see to the comfort of the patient. The drugs are either given through an injection or through a drip. It all depends upon the type of drugs that have been prescribed. The medicine is given directly into the veins along with the help of a catheter.

Chemotherapy Infusion Side Effects

Patients are made aware before hand the type of side effects that might follow the treatment. Post-care is also properly explained to the patient and the family members. After the chemotherapy infusion the drugs that are prescribed by the doctors should be taken regularly. A slight mismanagement of the drugs will hamper the medical treatment. If the medicines are discontinued for any reasons then the doctor should be intimated immediately. The blood level should be regularly monitored.

The side effects that are generally associated with chemotherapy infusion are nausea and a tendency of vomiting. The skin from where the injection was given becomes red and very sensitive. Any uneasiness in the body should be immediately notified to the doctor. Body weight should be properly checked. If the side effects persist then the doctor might bring in a slight change in the prescription. To sum up it cannot be denied that with the advancement of modern day science medical science too has progressed to a great deal and it is now possible to treat ailments as cancer. Among all the available chemotherapy treatment chemotherapy infusion for sure is the best treatment.