One of the most preferred treatments for cancer is considered to be via chemotherapy. The reason being that chemotherapy has proven to be very effective in treating this malignant disease. Although doctors believe in treating cancer with chemotherapy as one of the best options, many patients who are advised to undergo chemo fear of its repercussions in terms of its side effects. It is important to understand that the side effects management is much better than it was before and the treatment could help them lead a productive life. This article would give you a basic understanding on what is chemotherapy, how it works, what could be the possible side-effects of this treatment etc.

Cancer Treatment with Chemotherapy

What is Chemotherapy?

Chemotherapy treatment for cancer basically is a drug treatment where in the drug is infused intravenously or orally into the body to target and kill the cancer cells. It can also be given locally by chemotherapy wafers or by targeted treatment. Chemotherapy treatment stops the growth of cancer cells and prevents it from dividing and affecting the other vital parts. Cancer cells have a tendency to grow and multiply at a much faster rate as compared to most cells in the body. Because of this very reason it is important to target these fast growing cancer cells directly. Chemotherapy helps in targeting these cancerous cells and prevents it from growing or spreading.

Why Chemotherapy and How Does it Work?

There could be various reasons of why one is advised to opt for chemotherapy from the available options. The first could be to eliminate the cancer directly through chemotherapy; the second could be when surgery is not a favorable option; the third could be that the treatment given earlier may not have succeeded in completing eradicating the cancer cells and chemo could remove the remaining cells causing the damage. Chemo could also be used before conducting a surgery or before radiation therapy in order to shrink or reduce the size of the tumor. Treating cancer with chemotherapy could result in either completely curing cancer, controlling it from spreading or it could ease the symptoms which mainly involves the pain.

What Chemotherapy Drugs are used for the Treatment?

The usage and dosage for treating cancer with chemotherapy both depend on various factors. While in some cases it is easy for the doctors to know what drugs to use for which patient depending on the stage and type of cancer, in others there seems no effect with the use of single agent drugs and it becomes imperative to use a combination of drugs for the treatment to be effective. The process of using different combination of drugs in different durations and intervals is called chemotherapy regimen. The factors that help an oncologist or a cancer expert decide the chemotherapy regimen depends on the type of the cancer, the stage as in how far it has spread, the age and the general health of the patient, the treatments taken in the past and the history of any other major health problems.

Once the chemotherapy regimen is decided for a patient, it is administered in specific intervals. In medical parlance such intervals are called chemotherapy cycles. These cycles depend on how the body responds to the treatment and it also may change or be delayed if any side effects start to appear after a cycle. If the treatment is too hard on the body then the next cycle or treatment would be given after a longer duration instead of during the predefined cycle.

What are the Side Effects of Chemotherapy?

As mentioned earlier, chemotherapy could be too hard for the body to take. Chemotherapy is a systemic treatment, so what it does is that it targets the cancer cells to destroy them. However, in the process of damaging the cancer cells, it also harms the healthy cells of the body making it difficult for the body to cope up with the blow of chemotherapy. As a result, it weakens the immune system and causes side effects such as loss of appetite, nausea / vomiting, hair loss, pain, fatigue, skin reactions etc.

Some of these side effects may only cause temporary discomfort without prolonging it for a longer duration but if it lowers the white blood cell count, platelet count or red blood cell count then it takes longer for the body to bounce back for the next cycle of treatment. It also increases the chances of infections in the body which in turn delays the treatment. Although the aforementioned side effects are mostly evident while treating cancer with chemotherapy, there are proactive therapies for side effects that could reduce the chances of any side effects to a great extent. For example, the antiemetics for chemotherapy help minimize nausea and vomiting in cancer patients.

What are the chances of Chemotherapy Success?

Many chemotherapy research studies suggest that chemotherapy survival rates have improved considerably due to the advances made in the field of medicine and especially in the field of cancer treatments. Treating cancer with chemotherapy shows a higher success rate as compared to other treatments as it follows a very methodical approach and considers various factors relating to patients general health and can be used for different types of cancers.

Treating cancer with chemotherapy involves the aforementioned aspects. One should think through all the possibilities like average cost of chemotherapy, and other pros and cons involved before opting for a certain treatment. Sharing your concerns, doubts, fears and to have a detailed discussion with the doctor is a must before taking a decision. So don’t go by random suggestions and recommendations from others but consult with an oncologist who is cognizant of your state and is also familiar with your medical history.