Tuesday 9 August 2011

Chemotherapy for Cancer Patients


Chemotherapy is one of the best treatment options available today, which make use of drugs for removing cancer cells in one’s body. This kind of the treatment is also known as a systemic treatment. It is called as systemic treatment as the drug used in this treatment directly enters through the one’s blood stream, travels throughout the one’s body and removes all the cancer cells. The main aim of using drugs in chemotherapy is to destroy the cancer cells completely wherever they exist in one’s body.
Cancer chemotherapy is one of the preferred treatment methods used today. Chemotherapeutic drugs are chemically designed for mainly targeting cells, which are growing quickly in one’s body. Drugs used in this treatment methods act as destroyers that slow down the growth of cancer cells, ultimately ensuing in their destruction. One can take chemotherapy treatment at home, hospital or a clinic. There is no problem of taking this treatment at one’s home too. The frequency of this treatment may be on daily basis, weekly basis relying on the type of cancer, response of one’s body and type of drug. Chemotherapy is mainly decided on the type of cancer the person suffering from. Body weight of the patient and drug’s toxicity are the considering factors in deciding the dosage.
Many anticancer drugs have been found. These drugs are used in a number of ways. They are used in combination chemotherapy or drugs that work together. They are also used in monotherapy. These drugs are also used with other treatments like surgery as well as radiotherapy. Drugs are provided to the affected cells in the oral form and through injection. As chemotherapy affects cells which exist in one’s bone marrow, the reproductive system, hair follicles and gastrointestinal tract, there are a few side effects of chemotherapy that a person can get after the chemotherapy. Nausea and vomiting are a few of the most common side effects that a person can get through chemotherapy. Other side effect is fatigue. Chemotherapy affects many people in many ways. A few people also get tired due to the chemotherapy treatment. One needs to be careful not to over-strain oneself during or after the chemotherapy cycles.
Chemotherapy works effectively for destroying cancer cells but it has a few side effects too. Also, the side effects are not too severe, in most of the cases. Hence, there are many people who prefer choosing chemotherapy for the treatment of their cancer.

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