Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is one of the most common practices used for cancer treatments. The goal for chemotherapy treatments is to kill cancerous cells that are affecting the body. There are a number of chemotherapy drugs that a doctor may use to treat the disease. There are many factors, however, that contribute to the decision the doctors make about what medication to use. Some of these factors include where the cancer started, what kind of cancer you have and what stage the cancer is currently in. Chemotherapy is usually the most effective when it is combined with another treatment for cancer such as surgery, radiation therapy, hormonal or alternative therapies.
The chemotherapy drugs administered go through the blood stream to reach unhealthy cancer cells and prevent them from multiplying. An unfortunate side effect of chemotherapy is that it often attacks the healthy cells as well as the infected ones. This can cause adverse reactions to the medication, but these reactions often subside after treatment. Due to the severity of side effects and damage to healthy blood cells, the doctor usually determines how many treatments of chemotherapy and what type of medication to use. After chemotherapy sessions have ended, it gives the patient time to develop new cells and recover from the damage to the healthy cells. If chemotherapy treatment is administered and is effective, it can destroy all cancer cells, prevent new cancerous cells from returning and minimize symptoms so that the patient can live a comfortable life.
Surgery is a major part of treatment, and chemotherapy is able to assist in the process. Chemotherapy can be administered before surgery is performed to allow the mass/tumor to shrink and be easier to remove. Some patients who receive this kind of treatment before surgery have advanced stages of cancer where the mass is heavily attached to the tissue. When chemotherapy is administered following surgery, it helps remove remaining cancer cells. There is a chance that small cells were left behind, and chemo allows the doctors to reinforce the work they already completed during surgery. Combination strategies for chemotherapy often give the patient a better chance to eliminate the cancer and become healthy once again.
Often times, chemotherapy can make a patient feel very sick. The symptoms are more severe for some people, and a doctor can determine which is the best treatment regimen to follow. Some of the areas of the body in which healthy cells can be affected are in the lining of the mouth, the digestive system, skin, hair and bone marrow. If the treatment is making a patient very sick, the doctor may alter the distribution of the medication to lessen the side effects.
