What is chemotherapy?
Chemotherapy is a treatment for malignant tumors, which is the use of anti-tumor drugs to kill tumor cells in various parts of the body. Even if the tumor has been removed, the tumor cells may still be present in the adjacent areas or other parts of the body, and chemotherapy is applied to control the growth of the tumor or relieve the symptoms caused by the tumor.
What are the routes of chemotherapy application?
Chemotherapeutic drugs must reach the tumor cells through the bloodstream in order to be effective. An intravenous drip is the most common method, which involves dissolving and mixing the drug in an infusion and then slowly dripping the infusion into a vein in the patient’s arm. Other chemotherapy routes include oral pills, intravenous injection, and intracavitary chemotherapy (injecting the drug into the chest or abdominal cavity through a chemotherapy tube fixed in the chest or abdominal wall). Jie Tang, Department of Gynecology and Oncology, Cancer Hospital of Fudan University
Where is chemotherapy administered?
Intravenous chemotherapy is usually administered in the outpatient clinic of the hospital and requires the operation and observation of an experienced nurse. Any allergic reaction or discomfort needs to be notified to the doctor for timely management.
What is the course of chemotherapy?
Chemotherapy is usually given on a regular schedule, such as once every 3 to 4 weeks or once a week for several weeks, with no chemotherapy for the rest of the time (usually 3 to 4 weeks or a week), which is called a chemotherapy interval, and then the next chemotherapy course begins again. During the chemotherapy interval, normal tissues are repaired and the patient regains strength.
What are the toxic side effects of chemotherapy?
Chemotherapy drugs kill tumor cells and also destroy normal cells, resulting in toxic side effects of chemotherapy. Some healthy tissues that grow vigorously, such as bone marrow, mucous membrane of digestive tract and hair follicles, are most vulnerable to damage. Normal tissues in all systems of the body may be damaged by chemotherapy drugs, causing various toxic reactions.
Common side effects include weakness, nausea, vomiting, mouth ulcers, diarrhea, constipation, hair loss, numbness in hands and feet, bone marrow suppression, and heart, liver and kidney toxicity.
What should I pay attention to during chemotherapy?
1, diet: chemotherapy patients must master the regulation of diet, chemotherapy period to light and easy to digest diet, and try to drink more water to reduce the toxic side effects of chemotherapy, to maintain kidney function; chemotherapy period should be into a high protein, high calorie, high fiber diet, try to restore physical strength, ready to receive the next course of chemotherapy.
2, rest: should be fully rested, avoid going out, one to avoid the emergence of side effects and can not be dealt with in time to affect the treatment, the second to avoid cross-infection.
3, laxative: Patients who used strong antiemetic drugs before chemotherapy may become constipated after chemotherapy, they should drink more water, eat high-fiber food, eat bananas, honey, sesame oil can laxative. Move more and perform abdominal massage to stimulate intestinal peristalsis and promote bowel movement. Take laxatives if necessary.
4, protection of veins: intravenous patients must pay attention to the protection of veins, if chemotherapy drug extravasation, must immediately tell the nurse, for timely treatment, for local closure, magnesium sulfate wet dressing, to avoid causing local necrosis.
5, intraperitoneal chemotherapy: usually 1 to 2 intraperitoneal chemotherapy tubes are placed at the time of surgery, the patient needs to lie down for 12 hours on the day of chemotherapy, and often turn around, so that the drug is evenly distributed.
6, arterial cannula chemotherapy: postoperative bed rest should be tried, regular flushing with heparin to prevent clot blockage, protect the chemotherapy tube to avoid dislodgement, often observe whether there is bleeding in the cannula, if there is bleeding should promptly notify the doctor to avoid blockage of the lumen, affecting treatment; keep the incision local dry and clean to avoid infection.
7. Regularly check the blood routine (once or twice a week), liver and kidney function, electrocardiogram and relevant tumor markers before the next course of chemotherapy. The results of each examination should be shown to the doctor. If there is any decrease in white blood cells, platelets, abnormal liver function, etc., they should be treated with drugs in time to avoid aggravation of toxic side effects.
8. If patients have uncomfortable symptoms after chemotherapy, such as frequent vomiting, inability to eat, abdominal pain, fever, etc., they should go to the nearest hospital in time.