Combination chemotherapy is a mixture of different chemotherapy drugs to be administered routinely to a cancer patient. Chemotherapy uses cytotoxic drugs to diminish the size of tumors. Cancer cells are not identical, typically the chances of their damage reduces if a single drug is administered. Preferably, oncologists administer a combination of different drugs to increase the chemotherapy efficacy of the treatment. The drugs used in combination chemotherapy are strong and toxic hence following a strict regimen of dosage is imperative.

Combination chemotherapy drugs are also called Systemic drugs and these are usually infused into the blood stream through the veins. Cancer patients have to take an outpatient sitting for the dosage. The combination chemotherapy is given in cycles over a period of few months. There is a rest period of fixed duration after the dose of chemotherapy drugs. The rest period ensures recovery of the patient from an immediate side effect.

Combination chemotherapy is mostly given in more acute form of cancers. The likelihood further increases if the cancer has transformed to become metastatic. The dosage and type of chemotherapy is also determined by the physical health and age of the patient. Doctors follow a pre-scheduled plan to introduce combination chemotherapy as here there are few drugs which are to be given in combination while few in isolation. One cycle of combination chemotherapy might take few hours to few weeks.

Combination chemotherapy is usually infused intravenously by a cannula or a thin line along the larger veins in the body either in the chest region (central line) or on the arms (PICC Line). These lines could be taken out successfully and patients can go home after the dose. Alongside, a bolstering dose of anti emetic or anti sickness drugs could help to suppress the feeling of nausea and vomiting.

The systemic dose of combination chemotherapy may cause some uneasy chemotherapy drugs side effects. As the chemotherapy drugs disrupt the cancer as well as some normally dividing cells the side effects are prevalent in all forms of chemotherapy. Some cancer patients might experience mild to negligible side reactions whilst these are serious in others. Some common side effects of combination chemotherapy include:

1. Alopecia or Hair Loss: The hair loss is characterized by damaged hair follicle cells in effect of chemotherapy drugs
2. Anemia: A drop in RBC count of the body due to chemotherapy drugs might cause anemia
3. Bruising and Bleeding: Blood platelets are accountable for blood clotting. A fall in the number of blood platelets of the body could lead to excessive bleeding even by a minor cut
4. Diarrhea: Diarrhea is an outcome of depleted cells lining our stomach and intestine
5. Nausea and vomiting: This is the most typical side effect of chemotherapy. A dose of anti emetic or anti sickness drugs could help to control nausea and vomiting like reactions
6. Lowered Immunity to Infection: The WBC count of the body drops drastically after chemotherapy. This makes a cancer patient very prone to infections
7. Weakness and fatigue: Anemia often causes breathlessness due to low hemoglobin content of the blood. As a result the patient usually feels worn out and complaints for air hunger

Combination chemotherapy is one of the best methods of treatment that is given to most of the cancer patients. The patients are advised to take proper post treatment care to avoid severe side effects.