How Effective Is Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment used for treating cancer. This treatment is used to destroy the cancerous cells in the body. It is a systematic method used for treating cancer. It is given in cycles to the patient either before the surgery or after it.
There are two methods of administering chemotherapy treatment. They are orally and intravenously. Intravenous is the most common type of administering chemotherapy treatment. This treatment is done by placing a device in the vein and chemotherapy drugs are administered through this device in the vein. Oral chemotherapy is administered in the form of pills. It can be taken even at home as per the doctor’s prescription.
This treatment is used for treating different types of cancer such as lung cancer, breast cancer and prostate cancer. Other methods used for treating cancer include surgery and radiation. The treatment utilized for treating cancer is decided by the oncologist on the basis of various factors. These factors include type of cancer, overall health of the individual and the stage of cancer.
Chemotherapy treatment is categorized into various types. They include Adjuvant chemotherapy, primary (neo adjuvant) chemotherapy and combination chemotherapy. It is very effective treatment as it helps to destroy the cancer cells and also helps to prevent its reoccurrence.
The chemotherapy effectiveness can be determined on the basis of various factors. These factors include length of the course, total number of cycles and the chemotherapy drugs used for the treatment.
In some cases this treatment is used to shrink the tumor so that it removed later on with the help of surgery. This method is known as neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Another method is adjuvant chemotherapy; it is used to stop the growth of cancerous cells after administering the treatment such as radiation or surgery to the patient.
Combination chemotherapy is also a type of chemotherapy treatment used for treating cancer. It is an effective method which will help to treat cancer by using combination of different chemotherapy drugs.
One of the main disadvantages of chemotherapy treatment is that it destroys the healthy cells along with cancerous cells. Along with these, there are some side effects of using this treatment which includes constipation, hair loss, nausea, changes in the nervous system and vomiting.
Therefore, the details provided here briefly explain about chemotherapy treatment and how effectively it treats cancer. It also describes about different methods and side effects of this treatment.