Low-dose chemotherapy is used and yet studied to find better means to improve quality of life, prolong survival and radically reduce side effects of conventional chemotherapy. Till date oncologists have recommended the highest possible dose, a human body can tolerate. However, there are some severe side effects with high doses of drugs. Moreover, the body becomes susceptible to other infections and that might lead to death in some cases.

Types of Low Dose Chemotherapy-

These are the following types of low dose chemotherapy. However, they are not very common yet and are still under clinical trials-

Oral Low Dose Chemotherapy

Oral chemotherapy drugs are given at regular intervals. This is effective and considerably reduces the side effects for some people.

Low Dose Chemotherapy and Anti Angiogenesis

Anti angiogenic effects of low dose chemotherapy when given at regular intervals has shown good results so far. This is still under clinical trials.

Insulin Potentiation Therapy

The logic of this theory is that insulin produced by the cancer cell hampers the penetration levels of chemotherapy drugs into cancer cells. Cancer cells produce their own insulin and insulin-like growth factor (IGF) which together consume all the nutrients in the body and hence the cancer grows and spreads. These two factors are sixteen times more in cancer cells than normal cells. These IGF receptors react with synthetic insulin when administered externally. This way, the cancer cell is deprived of glucose and generates enzyme that makes the cell more permeable for drug penetration. This way, the drug would penetrate the cancer cell without hampering the normal cell.

Insulin therapy is different from IPT low-dose Chemotherapy. Insulin therapy has been used but not proven effective so far.

Low dose chemotherapy is given for longer period than standard chemotherapy as it aims at preventing the further growth of cancer and not killing the cancer cells rapidly. This allows the patient to lead a normal and prolonged life. The logic is that continuous oral low dose of chemotherapy drugs would allow cancer to become a chronic disease just like a heart disease or diabetes wherein it becomes manageable and cancer patients would lead a normal life just like a heart or a diabetic patient.

Side Effects of Low Dose Chemotherapy

Nausea

Low dose chemotherapy causes less nausea and vomiting than standard chemotherapy. However, it is likely to become chronic because of continuous dose of drugs as the drugs affect the cells in the digestive tract.

Low Blood Cell Count

A lowered blood cell count although in a reduce form causes fatigue and increases susceptibility to infections. Hence, although this side effect would be less pronounced, it is likely to weaken the patient more. Ask your health care provider how to minimize the effect of myelosuppression as a side effect of chemotherapy.

Moderate Hair Loss

Moderate hair loss is bound to happen because of the continuous damage of cells near the hair follicle. Although hair loss with chemotherapy is a very common side effect of chemotherapy, it is temporary in most cases and the hair grows back once the treatment is over.

Fewer Side Effects

The benefit of low dose chemotherapy is that there is no recovery period or a cycle. Although, the tumor does get time to thrive or spread, the body does not need a recovery period unlike in a high dose treatment and the body gets a continuous low dose of drugs to fight cancer with very few side effects.

Low dose chemotherapy is still under clinical research. It will hopefully lead to the development of better cancer chemotherapy drugs and using better substances that will radically reduce the side effects and help in curing cancer.