Chemotherapy in Cancer Patients

Chemotherapy is a treatment modality of cancers and can be used as a lone measure or with other modalities like surgery and radiotherapy. Chemotherapy actually acts as a growth barrier for the cancer cells, but the main drawback is that it also harm the healthy cells which have the capability to divide rapidly such as cells of oral cavity, hair follicles or intestine.

Role of chemotherapy in cancer

Chemotherapy is given with an intention to perform a role in curing the patient, to control cancer complications or to ease cancer symptoms to improve quality of life which is called palliative treatment.

Many a times chemotherapy is used in an improvised manner to facilitate other modes of treatments like making a tumor compact and smaller so that in can be removed surgically or can be destroyed by radiotherapy. This is also known as neoadjuvant therapy.
In many cancer a surgery or radiotherapy is done and the remaining cancer cells are destroyed by using chemotherapy, this type of therapy is called adjuvant therapy.
Thus as a whole chemotherapy in a cancer patient can be a mode of treatment either alone or can precede or succeed to other modalities of treatments.

Do all cancer patient need chemotherapy

No all cancer patients may not require chemotherapy, it depends on the type and sensitivity of a cancer cell towards the chemotherapeutic agent. A doctor decide based on this and on the basis of age, general health, nutritional status and any associated diseases like diabetes, renal failure, asthama or hypertension or any heart disease.

The dose may even vary from person to person even if the cancer type is same. The dose depends mainly on body surface area of the patient. Thus two person getting chemotherapy for same cancer may have different doses and the cost of treatment may vary.

What are modes of administration and treatment schedule of chemotherapy

There are various modes to administer chemotherapy, it may be injectable, oral or even topical. An injectable chemotherapy can be given either intravenous which is rapidly absorbed as directly infused in the blood or may be intramuscular which absorbs and then goes to the circulation.

Chemotherapy is given in cycles and it depends on the type of drugs used forchemotherapy to determine next cycle. If may be daily, weekly or even monthly. In this gap period the body is rested and allow time the body to rest and produce new, healthy cells. The number of cycles depends on the attending oncologist and physician.

Usually but not as a rule 6 cycles of chemotherapy is given, but sometimes chemotherapy agents are given till disease progression. Sometimes doctors may change the chemotherapy agents or alter the schedule of cycle depending on the tolerance and toxicity. Some patient may not respond to one set of chemotherapy agents may be shifted to another set.

Side effects of chemotherapy

Side effects of chemotherapy generally depends on the health status of the patient before going for chemotherapy, type of chemotherapy agent used, type of cancer and and stage at which it is diagnosed. Profile and dose of chemotherapy also play a part in side effects.

The most common side effects encountered during chemotherapy are nausea, vomitting, cramps and poor appetite. There may be hair loss which is not permanent, dry mouth,mouth sores (stomatitis), difficult or painful swallowing (esophagitis),
diarrhea, constipation, fatigue, bleeding, susceptibility to infection and infertility.

The serious side effects may include damage to liver, heart, kidney, lungs and brain. Apart from that individual chemotherapy agent may have specific side effects.

Are side effects of chemotherapy managable
Now a days there are some wonderful medicine available to combat the side effects and are given upfront to tackle these side effects successfully. For example ondansetrones are very much effective in tackling chemotherapy associated vomitting. Mesna is used for prevent the renal side effect hemorrhagic cystitis caused by use of cyclophosphamide.

Point to remember - During chemotherapy most of the patients starts consuming vitamins, health drinks and other various nutritional supplements. It is advisable not to consume them without doctor,s recommendation as these may reduce the efficacy of chemotherapy.

There are something more to know about cancer, for them look at

Types, causes and symptoms of cancer.

Some common facts about cancer.

Healthy food for cancer patients.