COMPLETE Guide For Chemotherapy Effects and It's Treatment

Chemotherapy Definition: The Basics of Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy means the use of chemical substances or drugs to destroy the cancer causing cells, tumors in the body and the microbes. The use of chemotherapy is basically related to the oncology or the study of cancer. Chemotherapy is a mode of cancer treatment and this form of treatment is used for abridged form of cancer.

Chemotherapy is administered in two ways. This mode of treatment can be given either orally though this mode of treatment is used in very rare cases or through injecting the chemotherapy drug intravenously or IV or it can be injected into the body muscles. Chemotherapy is administered by IV method because it helps the drug to pass to all the body parts via bloodstream.

This mode of treatment is a very stressful and painful one leading to many side effects some temporary and some permanent. The use of a catheter becomes a must for those who have undergone chemotherapy treatment in their veins for a long period of time at regular time interval.

A catheter is a thin flexible tube with one end placed in the large veins of the chest and the other end is attached to another small device which is placed under the skin and this is useful to administer anticancer drugs into the body.

The mode of treatment varies from each patient as well as the type of cancer and stage of cancer and the treatment is given in periodic cycles which are given under medical supervision.

The side effect caused by this mode of treatment is basically due to the administration of more than one chemo drug. As the drug enters the body it divides the cells in the body which fight against these cancer causing cells making your body’s immune system weak and vulnerable to other diseases.

The side effects related to chemotherapy are vomiting, nausea, headaches, fatigue, loss of appetite, loss of memory, hair fall, anemia, bleeding, swelling on the face, ankles, diarrhea, mouth sores, infertility etc. These symptoms are common to all types of chemotherapy and these side effects are visible from the onset of the treatment cycle until the completion of the treatment. These side effects are reversible after the completion of the treatment.

There are certain side effects which leave a permanent mark on you like there can be liver dysfunction, kidney failure, heart ailments, digestive tract ailments etc. Chemotherapy can also be defined as a process which includes the division of the cell lining in the digestive system or tract.

There are certain medicines which help minimize the side effects which are known are sold as over the counter drugs like the anti-nausea medicine to reduce the nausea and vomiting sensation during the period of treatment.

In this mode of treatment the use of one or more than one drug is administered or it can be called as combination drug chemotherapy. The drug and the dosage that is administered depend upon the type of cancer, the stage, the overall body structure.