Chemotherapy: Using chemicals to cope with cancer

If you are considering chemotherapy for cancer treatment, you may want to know how it works and what to expect. Get base here.


Chemotherapy? treatment for cancer? has played an important role in the treatment of cancer for the last half century. Testing and research over the years has proven that chemotherapy can cure cancer. This medication may be the only way, or can be used as a combination with other treatments, like surgery and radiation therapy.


Chemotherapy works by killing rapidly dividing cells. These cells include cancer cells which continue to divide to form new cells and healthy cells pembelahannya fast as on bone cells, digestive tract, reproductive system and hair follicles. Healthy cells will generally be good again shortly after chemotherapy is completed, as an example is the hair will grow back.

Chemotherapy can achieve different goals

The main benefit of chemotherapy is? unlike radiation, which only handles specific areas of the body is exposed? chemotherapy to treat the whole body. As a result, cancer cells that had metastasized (spread) can also be treated.

Depending on the type faces and whether the cancer has spread or not, your doctor may use chemotherapy to:

1. Eliminate all cancer cells in the body, even when already spread.
2. Extend life expectancy by limiting the growth and spread of cancer.
3. Cure the symptoms and improve quality of life.

In some cases, chemotherapy may be the only treatment. But more often chemotherapy combined with other treatments such as surgery, radiation or a transplant to give better results. For example, you'll get:

1. Neoadjuvan therapy. neoadjuvan goal of therapy is to reduce the risk of a tumor before surgery or radiation therapy.
2. Adjuvant therapy. Given after surgery or radiation, an additional therapeutic goal is to overcome the cancer cells that may remain in the body after preliminary treatment.

Chemotherapy type

Chemotherapy is not limited to the use of one drug. Usually a combination of chemotherapy drugs that work together to kill cancer cells. Combining drugs with different mechanisms of action while in the cell can increase the destruction of cancer cells and may reduce the risk of developing cancers that are resistant to one drug type. Your doctor will recommend drug combinations that have been tested in humans with the same conditions and have shown the effects on certain types of cancer.

Chemical compounds which are generally based on the type recommended by doctors, stage and sustained levels of the cancer, along with age, health checks, and your willingness to tolerate side effects that may arise. Some types of chemotherapy that is commonly used to handle cancer include:

1. Alkilating agents.
   
   These drugs interfere with cancer cell growth by blocking the replication of DNA
   
   .
2. Antimetabolite.
   
   These drugs block the enzymes needed by cancer cells to live and grow.
   
   
3. Anti-tumor antibiotics.
   
   This antibiotic is different from that used for bacterial infections, work by interfering with DNA, blocking certain enzymes and replace the cell wall.
   
   
4. Mitotic inhibitors.
   
   These drugs inhibit cell division or inhibit certain enzymes in the process of cell reproduction.
   
   
5. Nitrosourea.
   
   These medications interfere with DNA repair enzymes.

How is chemotherapy given?

Chemotherapy is usually given in a cycle, depending on the conditions faced and the drug used. Included in this treatment cycle is taking medicine daily, weekly or monthly for several months, with periods of recovery at each treatment. Recovery period provides time for the body relax and produce healthy new cells.

Chemotherapy drugs are available in various forms. Your doctor will determine the drug dosage form according to the type of cancer and the best cure for cancer. Examples of various forms of chemotherapy include:

1. Intravenous (IV).
   
   Chemotherapy injected into the vein, using a syringe. This gift enables rapid distribution throughout the body.
   
   
2. Oral.
   
   By taking chemotherapy drugs.
   
   
3. Topical.
   
   This type of medication given to the skin for skin cancer.
   
   
4. Injection.
   
   Using a syringe, your doctor may inject medicine into the muscles under the skin or in areas of the skin cancer.

Chemotherapy treatment, however the way of administration, is generally distributed throughout the body. Generally is through intravenous mode of administration allows the spread quickly throughout the body system. If you want to menterapi cancer with a specific area, then needed a catheter which is connected directly into the area or in the blood vessels that nourish the tumor.

Side effects from chemotherapy

Because chemotherapy drugs can interfere with healthy cells, then the loss is another possible side effects of drugs, some other temporary and long term. But not all drugs have side effects. Your doctor will tell what effect that may arise in treatment.

Temporary side effects may include:

1. Hair loss.
2. Dry mouth.
3. Wound in the mouth (stomatitis).
4. Difficult or painful swallowing (esophagitis).
5. Nausea.
6. Vomiting.
7. Diarrhea.
8. Constipation.
9. Fatigue.
10. Bleeding.
11. More susceptible to infection.
12. Infertility.
13. Loss of appetite.
14. Changes in sense of taste.
15. Impairment of consciousness, sometimes occurs on chemo brain.
16. Liver damage.

The duration of these side effects depends on which drugs are used and for how long used. Most side effects will be lost during chemotherapy treatment was stopped. And most of the temporary side effects can be minimized by treatment. If side effects make uncomfortable, then immediately gave announcing the doctors who cared for you. When side effects arise more than you expect, then you can replace the treatment performed.

Cancer patients will live longer after treatment, but side effects sometimes appear long after treatment ends. This long-term side effects are very rare. Before starting treatment, consult your doctor what the long-term side effects that may arise. Some chemotherapy can cause:

1. Organ damage, including problems with the heart, lungs and kidneys.
2. Nerve damage.
3. The presence of blood in the urine (hemorrhagic cystitis).
4. Other cancers, including Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, leukemia and multiple tumors.

Doctors will tell how the signs and symptoms that occur after treatment. By knowing the long-term side effects to look out and help to stay healthy after treatment. When you begin to chemotherapy was very scary, but with treatment side effects that may arise can be reduced. Chemotherapy indeed will always cause side effects, but should always keep in mind that many cancer patients live longer than it should thanks to chemotherapy.