Cancer Cells and Chemotherapy
The uncontrolled growth of cells or division of cells which are no longer in control of the normal body tissues is termed as cancer which leads to cancerous tumors. Contact inhibition is a mechanism wherein the normal cells stop their division voluntarily when they come in contact with those cells which have features and properties like their own. Cancerous cells on the other hand lose this ability and then there is unmatched and un- controlled growth of cells. Cell cycle is the division of cells in the body be it the division of normal cells or that of these cancerous cells. The division of the cells from the resting period to that of the growing period is termed as Mitosis.Chemotherapy is used basically to destroy these cancerous cells in the body and to prevent the further growth or division of the same. These cancer drugs when administered help destroy the DNA and RNA cell structure but also destroys the normal cells that surround these cancerous cells. They also induce self-destruction or apotosis of these cancerous cells.
It has also been noticed that the faster the cell division the more it helps chemotherapy drugs to destruct the cancerous cells in the body. Chemotherapy drugs help shrinks the tumor in the body also.
Cell-cycle specific drugs are those chemotherapy drugs that attack and destroy the cancerous cells in the body only when they are in the process of cell division. The chemotherapy drugs which destroy the cancerous cells in the body when the cell division is dormant or are in rest period are known or referred as non-specific cell cycle.
There are various types of chemotherapy drugs which are used to treat various types of cancers, the drug to be administered varies from cancer to cancer and apart from this the drug to be administered is also based upon the type of cancer cells and the rate at which these cells divide. Chemotherapy drugs are administered in cycles.
Though chemotherapy drugs are useful in treating various types of cancers these are also known to destroy the normal cells or healthy cells that surround the cancerous cells. Though the normal cells grow back and become healthy but then by the time they grow back there are side effects. Some of the side effects are temporary while some are permanent. The side effects that are temporary are reversible and get back to normal after the completion of treatment cycle.
The most common side effects associated with chemotherapy mode of treatment are anemia, vomiting, nausea, loss of appetite, hair loss, loss of memory, diarrhea, mouth sores, fatigue, etc.
Chemotherapy drugs can be basically divided into five groups and this is also how this chemotherapy drugs work on destroying the cancer cells. Chemotherapy drugs are administered as a single mode of treatment or as combination drug treatment wherein the drugs come as combination of two or more than two drugs. Combination drugs are useful as they help not only more effective than single drugs because these combination drugs are more effective.