WHAT IS CHEMOTHERAPY?
Chemotherapy, or sometimes referred to as Chemo, is one of the most common type of cancer treatment that uses medications or drugs to kill cancer cells or to stop them from growing and spreading to other parts of the body.
Depending on the stage of cancer and the type of cancer, doctors either prescribe chemo by itself or with surgery or radiation. And in some cases, other cancer fighting drugs are also prescribed.
WHEN IS CHEMOTHERAPY USED?
Doctors prescribe chemo in cases where the cancer has either spread or there’s a risk that it will.
Chemotherapy is often used to:
- try cure the cancer completely.
- make other treatments more effective – it can be combined with radiotherapy or may be used before surgery.
- reduce the risk of the cancer coming back after surgery or radiotherapy.
- relieve symptoms if a cure isn’t possible.
HOW DOES CHEMOTHERAPY WORK?
Depending upon the drug or medication, chemo kills rapidly-dividing cancer cells in a variety of ways. Since different types of cancers grow differently, many chemo drugs have been developed that target these various growth patterns. Each drug works differently and is effective at a specific time in the life cycle of the cell it targets.
HOW IS CHEMOTHERAPY GIVEN?
Chemotherapy can be given in many ways; the most common types are:
- Intravenous Chemotherapy - chemo given into a vein. This is usually done in a hospital where the medicine is given through a tube in a vein in the hand, arm or chest.
- Oral Chemotherapy – chemo tablets. This involves taking a course of medication at home followed-up with regular check-ups in a hospital.
Though less common, there are other types of chemotherapy as well:
- Subcutaneous Chemotherapy – injections given under the skin.
- Intramuscular Chemotherapy – injections given into a muscle.
- Intrathecal Chemotherapy – injections given into the spine
Patients are treated with one type of chemo medicine or a combination of different types. And, usually there are several treatment sessions which are spread over the course of a few months.
HOW OFTEN WILL I RECEIVE CHEMOTHERAPY?
Usually, treatments are given daily, weekly, or monthly. This depends on the type of cancer and which drug or a combination of drugs is being given. Chemotherapy is usually given in cycles with rest periods between each administration.
HOW IS CHEMOTHERAPY SCHEDULED?
Chemo is typically given in cycles i.e. a treatment followed by a period of rest. A cycle lasts one or more days, but is usually one, two, three or four weeks long.
A chemo course comprises multiple cycles, usually four to six cycles; and each course is different. A chemo session may last several minutes to several hours depending on the drug or drugs given.
WHAT ARE THE SIDE-EFFECTS OF CHEMOTHERAPY?
While chemotherapy is effective in killing cancer cells, it can also damage some healthy cells in the body, such as blood cells, skin cells and cells in the stomach. Side-effects or sometimes referred to as ‘complications of treatment’ are the undesired consequence of the healthy cells getting affected. The side-effects of treatment may cause inconvenience, discomfort and in some cases even fatality to patients.
The most common side-effects of chemotherapy are:
- Low blood counts
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Hair loss
- Fatigue
- Increased risk of infections
- Sore Mouth
- Dry, sore or itchy skin
- Diarrhoea or constipation
- Bruising and bleeding
- Sleep problems
- Sex and fertility issues
Some of these side-effects may be temporary, while others, such as infection of low white blood cell count can be life-threatening.
Please speak to your doctor on how to cope with the side-effects and what should be done.
WILL I LOSE MY HAIR BECAUSE OF MY TREATMENT?
Hair loss occurs with some, but not all, chemo drugs. The amount of hair loss varies depending upon the type of drug being administered – from slight thinning to complete baldness – and it affects the scalp, eyelashes, and eyebrows, legs, armpits and pubic area.
Hair loss begins two to three weeks after the first treatment, and the hair begins to grow back within two to three weeks of completion of the treatment. The hair that grows back is generally different from what it was before treatment – colour or texture might change.
REMEMBER: Hair loss associated with chemotherapy is temporary and the hair will definitely grow back.
WHEN SHOULD I TAKE URGENT MEDICAL ADVICE?
Most side-effects of chemo might be distressing but are not serious. However, one should contact their doctor immediately if the patient experiences the following symptoms:
- High fever
- Shivering
- Breathing difficulties
- Chest pain
- Flu-like symptoms, such as muscle pains
- Bleeding gums or nose
- Bleeding from other parts of the body that doesn’t stop even after applying pressure for 10 minutes.
- Mouth ulcers
- Vomiting that continues despite anti-sickness medication
- Four or more bouts of diarrhea in a day