Chemotherapy - Treatment, Procedure And Side Effects

Chemotherapy is used in the treatment of cancer. There are a wide variety of drugs that are used in this method of treatment. Since cancer involves cell division, it works to counter this effect by destroying the cancerous cells. In cases where surgery is used to remove the cancer is ineffective, the oncologist will recommend the treatment.

Chemotherapy is sometimes used in conjunction with radiation and surgery in the treatment of cancer. It might be used to destroy the cancerous cells that remain after radiation therapy or even in order to shrink a cancerous growth before surgery or radiation therapy. The treatment is effective in decreasing the number of cancerous cells in the body and also helps to manage the symptoms of cancer. While chemotherapy is an effective method of treatment, cancer cannot be cured completely. The chance of recurrence of cancer is always a possibility.

Chemotherapy is the treatment for a cancer patient to stop the growth of cancer cells. During the process cancer cells are killed or stop dividing. When chemotherapy is given by mouth or injected in the veins the drug directly enter in the cancer cells through the bloodstream. There are three major types of chemotherapy:

• Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy: It is given before surgery so that the size of the tumour can be shrunk.
• Adjuvant Chemotherapy: It is used after the surgery so that the risk of recurrence can be reduced.
• Palliative Chemotherapy: It is used to control cancer but does not help in curing it.
• Combined therapies: Non-drug treatments are combined with localized chemotherapy to attain better results and limit the toxicity.

Chemotherapy is an aggressive form of treatment wherein the drug attacks the cancer cells and destroys them. This form of treatment is administered in a number of ways. It could be given to the patient intravenously or as a tablet or even injected into the skin. A cycle of chemotherapy could be given on a daily basis for a week. Then the patient is given a resting period of two-three weeks before continuing with another cycle. Therefore one cycle could last for 3-4 weeks. However, the length of these cycles differs according to the type of drug and the patient.

When the drug is administered intravenously; a nurse will insert a needle into the vein in your arm which allows the chemo drug to drip through the IV. This happens at each session of the cycle of chemotherapy treatment. After the drug has been administered the nurse will then remove the needle. This process can take a few hours per session. The patient may experience exhaustion and fatigue during the session.

If it is a capsule or a tablet then the drug is given orally. You will be asked to swallow the pill and flush it down with a glass of water. The chemotherapy drug can also be administered directly to the affected organs or directly to an affected artery. In some cases, the drug can be injected into the skin, arm, leg or hip of the patient.

Chemotherapy depends upon the treatment and type of cancer you are having. Doctors use the process of chemotherapy because it circulates in the whole body through the bloodstream. Chemotherapy is mostly given in the last stages of cancer to relieve pain.

Chemotherapy is administered in a course or a series of sessions that vary from person to person. The course could be every day for a week or once a week over a period of 8 weeks. It is also possible for the course to last several months. The variation of the time period for a session or course depends on the recommendation from the oncologist and according to the drug being administered.

Chemotherapy makes a patient’s body prone to secondary infections due to its side effects. Hence the nutritional requirement changes in order to strengthen the immune system. Those mainly involve avoidance of things such as caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, smoking, and refined sugar as well as fatty and fried foods. Proper hygiene methods while cooking should be followed and stress management, as well as proper sleep-wake cycles, should be maintained. Physical activities should also be increased and isolation from the family must be avoided.

The success rate of Chemotherapy has successfully been established after a clinical study in two groups of women suffering from cancer. One group was allowed to go Chemotherapy along with hormone therapy after the surgery while the other group didn’t undergo chemo. The results were in terms of overall survival which was 98.1 % for the group that had chemo and 98% for the one who didn’t have it after 5 years of treatment, while after 9 years the survival was 93.8% and 93.95 respectively.

Although Chemotherapy is considered the first line of treatment, there are many cases where it proves to be ineffective. In such cases, we opt for some other therapies such as radiation therapy, immunotherapy, hormone therapy, and targeted therapy. The aim of these methods is the same i.e to completely cure cancer or to minimize its growth by the action of radiation, immune system, endocrine system, and medications respectively.

The side effects of chemotherapy are as follows:

• Nausea and vomiting: Patient often experiences these symptoms after each chemotherapy session.
• Exhaustion and fatigue: It is normal to experience fatigue, weakness, and exhaustion for a while after the treatment has been administered.
• Hair fall: One of the most evident side effects of chemotherapy is the loss of hair. Sometimes patient bald gradually, while others might not lose much hair. In many cases, the hair grows back after the treatment is over.
• Minor symptoms like fever, weight loss, constipation are commonly experienced after the treatment.
• Patients may notice changes in their skin or nails and have bleeding gums or mouth sores. After the treatment patients bruise easily, experience changes in their sense of taste, nerve damage and even loss of appetite.
• Certain major side effects include; problems with fertility, memory problems or heart disorders.

It is recommended that one should eat light food while going through chemotherapy. Small portions of food must be taken at intervals. Avoid fatty and spicy food, and skipping meals during chemotherapy. Staying hydrated throughout the day and keeping muscle tissues hydrated with fluids. No treatment should be delayed to boost up the immune system.

• Post-treatment patients suffer from sensitivity to sunlight. They should avoid direct sun exposure and use sunscreen for protection.
• To deal with hair loss, you can use a wig to cover your head or cut your hair short.
• It is important to eat healthy food and eat five short meals rather than three full meals in a day.
• According to the doctor’s recommendation, you must take the medications as prescribed.
• You can practice meditation and relaxing techniques. But it is important to stay active and exercise as much as possible, without straining yourself.

The amount of time it takes to recover depends on various factors such as stage of cancer, type of cancer, type of treatment and number of sessions. But on an average, the chemotherapy treatment lasts for about 2 to 6 months. Recovery at the end of the treatment can take a few weeks to a month.

The cost of each chemotherapy session can range from Rs 15,000 to Rs 1, 00,000. Each patient might have to undergo a series of around 6 to 8 sessions or any number of sessions that the oncologist recommends.

The results of chemotherapy are not permanent since there is always a possibility of cancer to recur. Numerous studies show that patients have gone into remission after treatment with chemotherapy and surgery. The survival rate for cancer patients who have undergone chemotherapy is relatively high.

The alternative methods of treatment of cancer besides chemotherapy are radiation therapy, surgery, homeopathic medicines.