Chemotherapy In Cancer
- erudite .
- Apr 28, 2022
- 1 min read
By Sanam Marjan
What is chemotherapy?
It is the use of drugs to destroy cancer cells. It normally works by restricting the growth and division of the cancer cells.
When is chemotherapy used?
There are various ways chemotherapy is used:
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy: Before undergoing surgery in order to shrink tumours
Adjuvant chemotherapy: After surgery to destroy any remaining cancer cells
To treat cancers of blood or the lymphatic system such as leukaemia and lymphoma.
To treat resurrect cancer or cancer that returns after treatment.
To treat cancer that spreads to other parts of the body, called metastatic cancer.
Goals of chemotherapy
There are two main goals that depend on the type of cancer. At times, the goal is to get rid of all the cancer and to prevent it from coming back. If this is not possible, one might receive chemotherapy to delay the growth of cancer.
How long does chemotherapy take?
It may last between 6 months to a year. As the side effects from this drug are extreme, doctors prefer to give these drugs with breaks in between, in order to have enough time to rest and recover.
Why does chemo cause side effects?
“Cancer cells tend to grow fast, and chemo drugs kill fast-growing cells” (1). And as these drugs travel throughout the body, they can affect healthy cells, which show similar characteristics as the cancer cells. Damaging or killing healthy cells stimulates or increases the side effects. Not everyone gets the side effects, and the ones who get them are likely to recover in months to years.
Side effects of chemotherapy
Weakness
Hair loss
Easy bruising
Infections
Anemia
Weight loss
Fertility problems, etc.
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