Cancer Chemotherapy is one the treatment process useful in treating cancer cells by using anti-cancer drugs. This cancer chemotherapy is referred as a systematic treatment .The drug is either given in the form of pills or injected into the bloodstream directly by suing intravascular injections. The drug enters into the bloodstream and destroys the cancer cells at the tumor location. Chemotherapy is useful in treating both kinds of benign tumor and malignant tumor. The drugs which we intake to kill cancer cells will rarely cause side effects due to over dose or due to improper usage.
Chemotherapeutic drugs attacks the cancer cells by stopping their unusual growth. The nature of the cancer cells were brought to the normal condition by controlling the divisibility of the cells. These drugs are carried in the bloodstream to kill destroy all the cancer cells within short period of time.
Cancer chemotherapy drugs can be given at either clinic or at home. The usage of this drug can be daily, weekly or monthly depending on the stage of the cancer and by the body immune system. Chemotherapy treatment is given by considering the following basis like age, gender, drug toxicity and body weight. The dosage and usability should be carried under proper supervision.
Present in the market there are more than 50 anti-cancer drugs in usability. These anti-cancer drugs are used to treat many cancer diseases. The usage of these drugs is carried in different ways like.
• Series of combined drugs or chemotherapy for treating various cancer diseases.
• Usage of single drug for the treatment process which is also called as Monotherapy
• Having chemotherapy along with other treatment process like radiation therapy, surgery and active surveillance.
The usage of drugs can be carried in several ways like:
• In tablet or pill form(oral)
• By taking injection(Intravenous or intramuscular)
• Injection taking in the back(Intrathecal)
Chemotherapy not only attacks cancer cells but also damages the life cycle of natural cells in bone marrow, reproductive system, gastrointestinal tract and hair follicles .Most of the cancer patients were experiencing many side effects due to the reverse body act .
Side effects carried by Chemotherapy drugs usage:
• Hair loss: Hair loss during the usage of chemotherapy can be controlled by using a cold compress around the scalp. This side effect can be occurred to very few of them.
• Nausea and Vomiting: Nausea and vomiting can be controlled easily by using anti-sickness drugs. This side effect is most commonly found in all the cancer patients who undergoes for chemotherapy treatment.
• Mouth ulcers: Due to increase in body temperature by the anti-cancer drugs this side effect occurs. So by using mouthwash drugs this side effect can be avoided easily.
• Fatigue: Fatigue occurs due to weak immune system .Most of them faces this problem during this treatment process. So try to do your daily activities slowly and never go for over-strain jobs.
• Reduction of Blood cell count: During chemotherapy, patient becomes anemic. So, Blood transfusion can avoid this side effect.
• Infections: Chemotherapy treatment destroys white cells along with cancer cells .white cells generally useful in treating infections so, due to reduction of white cells our body exposes to many infections. So usage of antibiotics can be helpful in treating this side effect.
Chemotherapy drugs are useful in treating following cancer disease:
Colon cancer Thyroid cancer Skin cancer Rectal cancer Prostate cancer Pancreatic cancer Ovarian cancer Oral cancer Melanoma cancer Lung cancer Leukemia Kidney cancer Head and neck cancer Gynecologic cancer gastrointestinal cancer Eye cancer Endometrial cancer Breast cancer Brain cancer Bone cancer Bladder cancer
Generally chemotherapy treatment and its side effects depend on type of cancer and number of drugs used. The side effects produced by this treatment remains temporary and disappear after the completion of treatment process.
