I. How do chemotherapy drugs kill cancer cells?
Cancer cells divide and multiply very frequently. Chemotherapeutic drugs interfere with their proliferation cycle, causing impairment of cell proliferation and thus producing killing effects.
Adverse reactions of chemotherapy drugs and countermeasures
1, gastrointestinal reactions: nausea and vomiting, poor appetite; diarrhea or constipation.
When the gastrointestinal reaction is strong, actively adjust the diet, according to their own habits to choose the color and flavor of food, or try to change the way of eating, eating environment and food temperature; with a strong will to eat food as medicine, but also to force themselves to eat, in order to maintain the daily nutrition and energy needs; if necessary, use drugs to assist (antiemetic, rehydration, laxative, etc.)
2. Toxic reactions of hematopoietic system: bone marrow suppression, the most common is the decline of white blood cells
While chemotherapy drugs kill cancer cells, they also cause damage to normal tissue cells. About a week after chemotherapy, patients will have different degrees of white blood cell decline, accompanied by easy to catch a cold or infection. Therefore, routine blood tests should be performed every 3 to 5 days after each chemotherapy treatment, and white blood cells should be injected promptly when they are lower than 3.0×109 /L, or as prescribed by the doctor after chemotherapy. Do not go to crowded places when the resistance is low; pay attention to keeping warm; live in an environment that is ventilated and sunny; and do a good job of personal hygiene (such as wounds, mouth, perineum, hair, etc.). Some patients may also be accompanied by anemia and declining platelets, prone to vertigo or spontaneous bleeding of skin mucosa, so in terms of diet, try to eat blood-supplementing foods (such as red dates, Agaricus blazei, red-coated peanuts, blood-raising tonics soup, etc.), and if necessary, input red blood cells or platelets.
3, toxic reactions of the urinary system: common is hemorrhagic cystitis and changes in kidney function
Many metabolites of chemotherapy drugs are excreted in the urinary system. In order to reduce the toxic reactions of chemotherapy drugs on the urinary system, more soup and water should be taken during chemotherapy to maintain sufficient urine volume in order to prevent the occurrence of hemorrhagic cystitis and reduce the damage to kidney function.
4. Toxic reactions of skin and hair: pigmentation and keratinization of skin; hair loss
After chemotherapy, breast cancer patients may have different degrees of skin pigmentation all over the body, especially for patients who have not been treated with chemotherapy, the skin of the arm will show obvious scorched black changes along the blood vessels where chemotherapy drugs have been injected; some patients will have difficulties in showing obvious hair loss after one chemotherapy treatment, and in serious cases, the hair of the whole body will be lost. However, these symptoms will gradually return to normal with the end of chemotherapy. During hair loss, try to wear a hat or wig, avoid direct sunlight on the skin when going out, and use moisturizer appropriately to reduce the dryness of the skin.
5.Phlebitis
Chemotherapy drugs circulating in the blood vessels can selectively reach the intended target to kill tumor cells, but once leaked outside the blood vessels, it will cause different degrees of damage to the skin and muscle tissue around the vessels (the severity depends on the nature of chemotherapy drugs). In mild cases, it is manifested as local redness, swelling, heat and pain, which is usually called phlebitis; in severe cases, it will cause swelling, decay and necrosis of skin muscle tissues, etc.!
Although some patients have not had leakage during the injection of chemotherapy drugs, chemotherapy drugs also have a strong damaging effect on blood vessels, and this damage is cumulatively aggravated with the increase of the number of chemotherapy treatments; some patients start with good vascular condition, but after one or two chemotherapy treatments, the vascular condition is found to be bad. Therefore, in order to reduce the occurrence of phlebitis, to protect the peripheral vessels well, and to avoid increasing the unnecessary pain caused by the leakage of chemotherapy drugs, it is recommended that all chemotherapy patients should make long-term plans from the first chemotherapy and choose to have an indwelling PICC catheter or buried infusion port for chemotherapy. Of course, after each chemotherapy treatment, along the direction of the injected blood vessels to apply some xiheptal (mucopolysaccharide polysulfate) ointment, paste some items such as potato slices, fresh aloe vera, fresh seaweed, etc., also help to reduce the occurrence of phlebitis.
Third, chemotherapy patients what conditions should stop chemotherapy and treatment
1.Severe bone marrow suppression: white blood cells below 2.0×109/L and platelets below 70×109/L in the blood routine; need to consult a specialist for proper treatment.
2. Severe gastrointestinal reactions: severe vomiting, diarrhea, or even dehydration, electrolyte disturbance or gastrointestinal bleeding;
3, the emergence of important organ function damage: serious heart, liver, kidney function or neurological function changes.
Diet during chemotherapy: balanced diet, reasonable nutrition and health promotion
Balanced diet: varied food, cereal-based; more vegetables, fruits and potatoes; frequent consumption of milk, beans or their products; frequent consumption of appropriate amounts of fish, poultry, eggs, lean meat;
Reasonable nutrition: light and highly nutritious, easy to digest, a small number of meals. Improve body resistance to tolerate surgery and chemotherapy.
Promote health and avoid stimulating foods: tobacco, alcohol, coffee, cocoa, strong tea, curry, vinegar, spicy, coarse, hard, fatty, fried, moldy, pickled foods;
Stay away from hormonal foods: such as bird’s nest, snow clam, royal jelly, sheep placenta, birth control pills, etc.
Five, good psychological adjustment, believe in science, believe in doctors, believe in yourself, encourage yourself, help yourself!