Chemotherapy is an effective treatment option for treating cancer. In chemotherapy, drugs or chemicals are used to kill the cancerous cells.  Different chemotherapy methods are used to eradicate cancer including preoperative chemotherapy, postoperative chemotherapy, single drug chemotherapy, and combination chemotherapy. In preoperative chemotherapy treatment, drugs are given to the patient prior to cancer surgery or radical radiotherapy. Preoperative chemotherapy treatment helps to reduce or shrink the size of tumor, which makes cancer surgery easier and enhances chances of its success. Treating cancer with chemotherapy of this type is widely used for patients with cancers in which surgery is planned in future. It is helpful in reducing the difficulties and complications regarding cancer surgery. It is commonly used for the treatment of locally advanced cancer such as breast cancer and colorectal cancer.

Preoperative chemotherapy is used to treat the following types of cancer

Advanced breast cancer

Mostly preoperative chemotherapy is applied for treating locally advanced breast cancer. This type of chemotherapy can extend and improve quality of life survival, and reduce morbidity. A technique that is based on diffuse optical spectroscopy is being used for keeping a track of the  patient’s response to preoperative chemotherapy. Diffuse optical spectroscopy is noninvasive near infrared method, which is used to monitor the patient’s health progress with locally advanced breast cancer.

Advanced cancer of head and neck

Preoperative chemotherapy is also a useful method of treatment for head and neck cancer  in the advanced stage. Most patients give good response to preoperative chemotherapy. In preoperative chemotherapy, the drugs used to treat head and neck cancer are cisplatin, bleomycin, and 5-fluorouracil.

Advanced cervical cancer:

Preoperative chemotherapy is  widely used treatment for those suffering from immense and locally advanced cervical cancer. Cisplatin, ifosfamide, and paclitaxel are some of the common chemotherapy drugs that are used in preoperative chemotherapy. This chemotherapy treatment is followed by surgery or radiotherapy. Preoperative chemotherapy has several advantages over postoperative or adjuvant chemotherapy.

Advanced ovarian cancer:

Preoperative chemotherapy is also applied for the treatment of advanced ovarian cancer. Patients experience long-term survival and a good quality life when treated with preoperative chemotherapy followed by surgery. In case of gastric cancer, preoperative chemotherapy can improve respectability survival and quality of life. However, this treatment cannot prevent the risk of reoccurrence of cancer.

Preoperative chemotherapy side effects

Drugs used in preoperative chemotherapy treatment are toxic in nature. They affect the healthy  cells along with the cancerous cells, thus causing side effects. Some of the side effects associated with treatment include nausea, fatigue, vomiting, diarrhea, sickness, memory loss, weight loss, hair loss and loss of appetite. Side effects occurred due to chemotherapy treatment are vary from patient to patient and depend on the stage of cancer and the physical condition of the patient.

Preoperative chemotherapy treatment when followed by surgery increases chances of destroying cancer extends survival and improves the quality of life. Preoperative chemotherapy treatment also known as presurgical chemotherapy or neo-adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer  is widely used for the treatment of cancer that can improve the survival and reduce morbidity.