TCH Chemotherapy is most commonly used for cure of Invasive Breast Cancer. The word TCH is derived from the initials of drugs used in this combination which are, Trastuzumab, Carboplatin and Docetaxel. TCH is a high dosage drug, doctors thus assess the physical health, height and weight of a patient before administering the drug. TCH Chemotherapy is given in the veins by an infusion. The TCH regimen could be implemented in few cycles over a period of few months. Doctors might intermittently delay the dose if a patient shows some strong side reaction to drugs.

Docetaxel and Carboplatin are elementary chemotherapy drugs that work by killing the cancer cells and reducing their size effectively. On the contrary Trastuzumab is an advance monoclonal antibody that precisely targets the cancer cells. Chemotherapy drugs habitually destroy every dividing and growing cell in the body. They fail to identify the normal cells and invariably destroy them like cancer cells. Chemotherapy thus causes some ailments or side effects that pertain to the harm caused to normal cells like, hair follicle cells, epidermal cells, gastrointestinal cells and bone marrow cells.

Some very common side effects of chemotherapy drugs include:

1. Hair loss: One might notice less density of hair or a receding hair line during medication.
2. Anemia: Anemia is often characterized by feeling weak and worn out. An anemic person often experiences short breathing or complaints for air hunger
3. Lowered resistance to cold and infections
4. Bruising and bleeding: Lack of blood platelets could lead to excessive bleeding even by a minor cut. One must keep away from sharp and piercing objects during the medication to avoid abrupt bleeding
5. Feeling nausea and vomiting is an indication of damaged gastrointestinal cells
6. Dry and sore skin: The skin cells are affected by chemotherapy drugs. One must daub their skin with sufficient moisturizer while going out. This must be practiced even during cloudy days.

Though these side effects could be upsetting one must not be bothersome as cancer is not an end to life. These side effects fade or wear out as the treatment is over.

Points to Remember

During the course of Chemotherapy one must be careful to:

1. Intimate their doctors about any dietary supplements, herbal remedies, homeopathic treatments or over the counter drugs they are taking as this might interfere with chemotherapy drugs already present in the body
2. Take preventive birth control pills as it is neither healthy to father nor to conceive a baby. This might be unsafe for the overall well being of the fetus
3. Nurse or breastfeed the child as there is a possibility that chemotherapy drugs are passed out in the milk