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Published: October 4, 2006
As a whole, we are inundated with cancer. Whether it is a family member, friend or perhaps yourself, we have all been touched by the disease at sometime. With it's prevalence in our lives, it is best to be well informed on treatments for the disease. This knowledge will provide us with the tools to manage its overwhelming presence in our lives.
The most common treatment for cancer is chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy is a type of drug treatment used in cancer patients. How advanced the cancer is and the overall health of the patient are the determining factors for the type of chemotherapy administered. The patient’s oncologist plans the chemotherapy treatment based on their specific needs.
There are over fifty different types of chemotherapy drugs available. Dependent upon the type of cancer, different types of chemotherapy will be used alone or in combinations to effectively treat the disease. There are mainly four different groups of chemotherapy drugs used for treatment:
These different drugs can be used at different stages during cancer to help eradicate or slow production of cancerous cells. There are three stages for chemotherapy treatment:
Chemotherapy works by attacking the cancerous cells which are dividing rapidly. Normal cells in the body divide at a very controlled rate. The cancerous cells are defective causing uncontrolled and rapid division. Chemotherapy interferes with this cell division, directly affecting the DNA in cancerous cells.
Infusion therapy is the most utilized form of administration of chemotherapy. It can be given most commonly through a vein in the patient's hand or through a central line to the chest. Other ways chemotherapy is given are through muscle injections, cavity injections, tablets or creams. Infusions can take from thirty minutes to three hours at a time. A continuous infusion can last one to seven days. The duration of treatment depends on the type of cancer, but most often it is in one to two day cycles which are repeated every four weeks. These cycles alternate with rest periods in order to allow the body to recover from the side effects caused by treatment.
Side effects are often an important aspect of chemotherapy. Since the treatment is designed to inhibit the division of cells, it attacks all cells, not only those affected by cancer. The normal cells most often affected are those which similar to cancer cells, divide rapidly. Hair-producing cells, skin cells, mouth and digestive cells can all be affected. This leads to many distressing side effects. The most common side effects are hair loss, mouth ulcers, nausea, vomiting and extreme fatigue. Most of these side effects can be calmed and controlled by oral medications and nutritional supplements. However the most serious side effect of chemotherapy is the cause of irreversible infertility, occurring mostly in women. Chemotherapy can bring the early onset of menopause in women, thus causing them to become infertile. Besides this grave side effect, most of the other side effects, though painful and uncomfortable, can be managed.
Besides the main goal of chemotherapy being to cure cancer, the treatment also has many other benefits. Chemotherapy provides the option of curing early cancers and preventing them from returning. The treatment can also slow the spread of cancer to other parts of the body, making it easier to contain and heal. Even after it has spread too far and cannot be cured, a form of chemotherapy, called palliative chemotherapy, can extend the good quality of life for as long as possible for the patient.
With a greater knowledge of how to prevent, manage and treat cancer through chemotherapy, we can better help those afflicted with the disease. By understanding their struggle, it can broaden our own awareness of how devastating a toll cancer takes.
Cancer Treatment Info. 1 November 2001. Oncolink. 4 October 2006. www.oncolink.com
Chemotherapy. February 2004. BUPAs Health Info Team. 4 October 2006. http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_
sheets/html/chemotherapy.html.
Making Treatment Decisions. 2006. American Cancer Society. 4 October 2006. www.cancer.org
The most common treatment for cancer is chemotherapy.
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There are over fifty different types of chemotherapy drugs available. Dependent upon the type of cancer, different types of chemotherapy will be used alone or in combinations to effectively treat the disease. There are mainly four different groups of chemotherapy drugs used for treatment:
- Alkylating Drugs- Used for breast and lung cancer, lymphomas and leukemias
- Oxtotoxic Drugs- Used for breast, ovary and lung cancers
- Antimetabolites- Used for breast, bone and bladder cancers
- Vinca Alkaloids- Used for leukemias and lymphomas
These different drugs can be used at different stages during cancer to help eradicate or slow production of cancerous cells. There are three stages for chemotherapy treatment:
- Neo-adjuvant therapy (before surgery)
- Adjuvant therapy (after surgery)
- In advanced cancer
Chemotherapy works by attacking the cancerous cells which are dividing rapidly. Normal cells in the body divide at a very controlled rate. The cancerous cells are defective causing uncontrolled and rapid division. Chemotherapy interferes with this cell division, directly affecting the DNA in cancerous cells.
Infusion therapy is the most utilized form of administration of chemotherapy. It can be given most commonly through a vein in the patient's hand or through a central line to the chest. Other ways chemotherapy is given are through muscle injections, cavity injections, tablets or creams. Infusions can take from thirty minutes to three hours at a time. A continuous infusion can last one to seven days. The duration of treatment depends on the type of cancer, but most often it is in one to two day cycles which are repeated every four weeks. These cycles alternate with rest periods in order to allow the body to recover from the side effects caused by treatment.
Side effects are often an important aspect of chemotherapy. Since the treatment is designed to inhibit the division of cells, it attacks all cells, not only those affected by cancer. The normal cells most often affected are those which similar to cancer cells, divide rapidly. Hair-producing cells, skin cells, mouth and digestive cells can all be affected. This leads to many distressing side effects. The most common side effects are hair loss, mouth ulcers, nausea, vomiting and extreme fatigue. Most of these side effects can be calmed and controlled by oral medications and nutritional supplements. However the most serious side effect of chemotherapy is the cause of irreversible infertility, occurring mostly in women. Chemotherapy can bring the early onset of menopause in women, thus causing them to become infertile. Besides this grave side effect, most of the other side effects, though painful and uncomfortable, can be managed.
Besides the main goal of chemotherapy being to cure cancer, the treatment also has many other benefits. Chemotherapy provides the option of curing early cancers and preventing them from returning. The treatment can also slow the spread of cancer to other parts of the body, making it easier to contain and heal. Even after it has spread too far and cannot be cured, a form of chemotherapy, called palliative chemotherapy, can extend the good quality of life for as long as possible for the patient.
With a greater knowledge of how to prevent, manage and treat cancer through chemotherapy, we can better help those afflicted with the disease. By understanding their struggle, it can broaden our own awareness of how devastating a toll cancer takes.
Cancer Treatment Info. 1 November 2001. Oncolink. 4 October 2006. www.oncolink.com
Chemotherapy. February 2004. BUPAs Health Info Team. 4 October 2006. http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_
sheets/html/chemotherapy.html.
Making Treatment Decisions. 2006. American Cancer Society. 4 October 2006. www.cancer.org
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