Chemotherapy huàliáo chemotherapy is a method of treating diseases with chemically synthesized drugs. Chemotherapy is one of the main treatments for tumors and certain autoimmune diseases, but patients commonly experience nausea and vomiting as side effects during treatment, causing discomfort to patients. Chemotherapy refers to the application of drugs to treat cancer. These particular drugs kill tumor cells and are sometimes called cytotoxic drugs. Many chemotherapeutic drugs are of natural origin, e.g., plants, others are synthetic. There are more than 50 chemotherapeutic drugs, such as the commonly used ones: epi-adriamycin, adriamycin, erythromycin, mitomycin, and fluorouracil deoxynivalenol. These drugs are often applied in combination in different strengths.
Chemotherapy is a treatment modality that uses chemical drugs to kill tumor cells, inhibit the growth and reproduction of tumor cells and promote the differentiation of tumor cells. It is a systemic treatment that has therapeutic effects on primary foci, metastases and subclinical metastases.
There are many ways to prevent and treat nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy, and if we can prevent and treat it in many aspects such as diet, spirit and Chinese and Western medicine, we can achieve satisfactory effect.
Chemotherapy: drug treatment for diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms, parasites and malignant tumors (referred to as chemotherapy).
Some chemotherapy drugs are taken in the form of tablets, others are injected intramuscularly or subcutaneously, there is also intra-spinal cavity injection (intrathecal injection), and more commonly, intravenous injection. Intravenous injections can be given in a few minutes or placed in a large volume of fluid and dripped over several hours. Sometimes several drugs are applied simultaneously.
Chemotherapy is generally painless, and some drugs can be felt as a burning sensation during intravenous infusion. If this happens, tell your nurse or doctor immediately, as the tissue around the vein can be damaged when the drug leaks. Chemotherapy can often be given on an outpatient basis, and patients may not have to stay overnight in the hospital. Chemotherapy is often given in courses, with intervals between courses to allow normal cells to recover. The interval is 1 week or several weeks, depending on the type of drug or the application of the drug. The number of courses depends on the type of treatment and the purpose of the treatment (to cure or control the cancer).
The doctor will take several months to determine the effectiveness of your treatment. Patients undergo a physical examination, blood tests, and X-rays. It is possible to ask your doctor about the results of the tests and those that indicate the progress of your disease. Usually, people mention little about side effects. Sometimes people think that if there are no side effects, the drug is ineffective. Or if there are side effects, the drug works well. But side effects are not always the same for every patient, and their presence or absence is not usually a sign that treatment is working.
Generally speaking, you cannot go to work during chemotherapy, but you can do appropriate exercises according to your health condition, such as walking, playing tai chi, etc. You can also read newspapers and listen to music.
Side effects of chemotherapy.
1, physical weakness: patients can appear weakness, mental depression, sweating, drowsiness, etc.
2, immune function decline: chemotherapy drugs can damage the patient’s immune system, resulting in immune function defects or decline. Immune function indicators such as E-rose node test, CH50, C3 complement, T cell subsets, NK cell activity, interleukin II…etc. can be decreased in varying degrees after chemotherapy compared to before chemotherapy. Most antitumor chemotherapy drugs have immunosuppressive effects.
3.Bone marrow suppression: Most chemotherapeutic drugs can cause bone marrow suppression, manifested as a decrease in white blood cells and platelets, or even a decrease in red blood cells and hematocrit.
4, digestive disorders: decreased appetite, reduced diet, nausea, vomiting, bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea or constipation, etc. Many chemotherapy drugs trigger the above symptoms by stimulating the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract.
5.Inflammatory reaction: fever, dizziness, headache, dry mouth, mouth and tongue sores, etc.
6, cardiotoxicity: some chemotherapy drugs can produce cardiotoxicity, damage cardiomyocytes, patients appear panic, palpitations, chest tightness, anterior heart area discomfort, shortness of breath and other symptoms, and even heart failure. The electrocardiogram may show T-wave changes or S-T segment changes, etc.
7, nephrotoxicity: some chemotherapy drugs in high doses can cause renal impairment and back pain, discomfort in the kidney area.
8, pulmonary fibrosis: cyclophosphamide, vincristine, bleomycin, etc. can cause pulmonary fibrosis, which can be seen on chest radiographs as thickened lung texture or striated changes. For patients with poor lung function in the past is more dangerous, and even life-threatening.
9, phlebitis: the majority of chemotherapy drugs are administered by intravenous drip, can cause varying degrees of phlebitis, lesions of the blood vessel color becomes dark red or dark yellow, local pain, touching the stripes. Severe cases can lead to embolic phlebitis and obstruction of blood flow.
10, neurological toxicity: mainly refers to the chemotherapy drugs on the peripheral peripheral nerve damage, patients can appear numbness of the extremities, limb sensory dullness, etc.. Such as vincristine, vincristine, vincristine, novobiocaine, etc. can have different degrees of neurotoxic side effects.
11, hepatotoxicity: almost all chemotherapy drugs can cause liver function damage, the mild can appear abnormal liver function, the patient can appear liver discomfort. In some cases, it can lead to toxic hepatitis.
12, bladder inflammation: isocyclophosphamide, zebularin, ciclosporin, etc. can cause patients to have a series of drug cystitis symptoms such as small abdominal discomfort or distension and hematuria.
How can patients increase their appetite during chemotherapy?
1, change the recipe, change the cooking method: a new food can promote appetite, for example, patients who often eat pork food can be replaced to eat fish, shrimp, crab, chicken, etc., and some turtles, snapper, if possible. Changing the cooking method so that the food has a different color and flavor can also increase appetite. But no matter what kind of food, cooking must reach the degree that the food is more cooked and rotten, so that it can be smoothly digested and absorbed.
2, the appetite and spleen: ① hawthorn diced meat: hawthorn 100g, lean pork (or beef) 1000g, vegetable oil 250g, and mushrooms, ginger, onions, pepper, wine, monosodium glutamate, sugar each appropriate amount. First cut the lean meat into slices, oil explosion, and then use hawthorn seasoning fontanel and burn dry, can be eaten. Can both appetite and anti-cancer. ② Astragalus yam soup: 30g of astragalus, add water and boil for half an hour, remove the slag, add 60g of yam, then boil for 30 minutes, add sugar (add honey for constipation) that is. Take it once a day in the morning and once in the evening. It has the effect of benefiting the blood, increasing appetite and improving the absorption function of the stomach and intestines.
3, eat more fresh vegetables and fruits with high vitamin content: such foods can not only increase resistance, but also increase appetite. Some patients believe that raw and cold food should be avoided, but the fruit and vegetable category should be treated as appropriate. In the early postoperative period, vegetable juice and a small amount of easily digestible fruits can be eaten, and the amount should not be too much each time, and should be small and multiple meals. After the basic recovery of gastrointestinal function, you can eat some light and refreshing raw cold vegetables and fruits, especially during chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which have obvious appetizing effect.
4.Exchange of dietary experience among patients: Exchange of dietary experience among patients can not only complement each other, but also help to increase appetite, which is very necessary for cancer patients.
Chemotherapy Recipes
In the whole process of chemotherapy, without reasonable and sufficient nutrition, the treatment plan cannot be successfully implemented. Thus, dietary care should not be neglected, whether in the hospital or at home.
The principles of food selection are: a light diet high in calories, high in vitamins and low in fat. Pay attention to increase the taste, such as sweet, sour, etc. can stimulate appetite, reduce chemotherapy-induced nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite.
General common food for: tomato scrambled eggs, hawthorn stewed lean meat, astragalus lamb soup and wormwood roast beef, etc.. There are also fresh royal jelly, fungus, monkey head, chicken gizzard and other foods, both to replenish the qi and blood and spleen and stomach, to reduce reactions and improve the effectiveness of vigilance treatment. However, fishy taste should be avoided. In addition to the dietary principles for chemotherapy patients, dietary supplements should also be used to improve the efficacy of treatment according to the diagnosis of cancer and patient reaction. However, fishy taste should be avoided. In addition to the dietary principles for chemotherapy patients, dietary supplementation should also be chosen according to the diagnosis of cancer, the patient’s physical condition and the chemotherapy drugs used. The following foods are listed for reference.
1.Liver cancer, lung cancer, stomach cancer, intestinal cancer
Although these cancers have different sites, the general application of chemotherapy protocols are relatively similar. In terms of dietary supplements, besides the foods commonly used by patients, from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, it is also necessary to consume more products that nourish the liver and kidney and regulate the spleen and stomach, such as orange, Buddha’s hand, coconut pomegranate, hawthorn, chicken gizzard, black fungus, mushroom, adzuki bean, pepper, fresh ginger, tiddler, honey, carrot, tomato, horsetail vegetable, sunflower seed, etc.
2.Malignant lymphoma and leukemia
The treatment of such patients mainly relies on the high-dose combination of drug regimens for chemotherapy, with large adverse drug reactions. In addition to the foods commonly used by general patients mentioned above, in terms of Chinese medicine, it is also necessary to consume more foods that benefit qi and nourish blood and nourish bone and marrow, such as apples, oranges, Luo Han Guo, red dates, round fish, goose blood, milk, eggs, spinach, cilantro, walnuts, pig bone marrow, cow bone marrow, deer placenta, human placenta, etc.
Chemotherapy patients who have extreme loss of appetite and frequent vomiting should be given intravenous nutrition or elemental diet in time for hospitalization to ensure water-electrolyte balance and nutrition supply.
In order to ensure the daily food intake of chemotherapy patients, breakfast should be before 6:00 a.m. and dinner after 7:00 p.m. Extending the time difference between drug administration and eating can reduce the reaction and promote food absorption.
Chemotherapy is an effective means of tumor treatment, but almost all chemotherapy drugs will cause patients to lose appetite, nausea and vomiting in different degrees, which will weaken the nutritional status of patients. A reasonable diet can prevent and reduce weight loss and malnutrition brought about by treatment.
1.Before chemotherapy.
Before chemotherapy, a balanced diet containing five major food groups: cereals and potatoes (rice and pasta), vegetables and fruits (about 600~800g), meat, poultry and eggs (lean meat or chicken or fish about 50~100g, one egg), milk and soy products (one bag of milk, soy products 50~100g) and fats and oils (about 25g) should be included in the daily diet. 4~5 meals per day, with additional meals based on fruits.
Eat a diet low in fat, high in carbohydrates, and high in vitamins and minerals the day before chemotherapy. Choose foods such as: rice, pasta, fish, chicken, eggs, lean meat, tofu, vegetables, fruits, etc.
2. In chemotherapy.
During chemotherapy, as the drugs kill the tumor cells, it is inevitable that the normal cells will be damaged to some extent and produce corresponding toxic side effects, such as decreased immune function, leukopenia, gastrointestinal mucosal ulcers, hair loss, etc. At this time, patients should supplement high protein foods, such as milk, lean meat, fish, animal liver, red dates, adzuki beans, etc. River crab, eel, black fish, beef, etc. also help to raise the white blood cells. If there is loss of appetite and indigestion, add spleen-healthy and appetizing foods, such as hawthorn, white lentils, radish, mushrooms, and Chen Pi.
Nourishing Yin and strengthening the spleen porridge: It can relieve symptoms such as loss of appetite, dry mouth and weakness during chemotherapy. The preparation is to put 20 grams of cinnamon, 20 grams of lotus seeds, 50 grams of yam, 50 grams of coix seeds and round-grained rice, add water and cook the porridge.
Try not to eat your usual favorite food within 24 hours of the start of chemotherapy, as this will affect how you feel about this food later.
The dietary requirements are low fat, high carbohydrate, and a small amount of high-quality protein. The daily diet is based on is cereals, vegetables and fruits, with easily digestible chicken, fish and eggs, etc. You can supplement protein powder (soy or egg whites) appropriately. Less oil.
If the treatment reaction is heavy, the diet is mainly liquid. Vegetable soup, rice soup, juice and some elements of the diet are available.
Chewing ginger has some anti-vomiting effect.
3.After chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy is the most advanced treatment method in recent years in tumor treatment. However, chemotherapy drugs are often “unclear” and “indistinguishable”, killing tumor cells while also killing normal human cells. A lot of clinical practice proves that high doses of radiotherapy and chemotherapy for patients in the middle and late stages, or chemotherapy for patients who have developed drug resistance, can only lead to a weakened life and accelerate the death of patients. A large number of clinics often see that patients die not due to cancer itself, but due to unscientific and inappropriate killing treatments. For example, liver cancer is caused by liver failure such as ascites and jaundice after multiple interventions; lung cancer causes respiratory failure and death after chemotherapy for pleural fluid; stomach cancer and intestinal cancer causes nausea and vomiting after chemotherapy, and patients die from more exhaustion; white blood cells drop and patients die from infection, etc. The treatment of advanced cancer is more important to reduce pain, improve quality of life, control the disease, and “seek progress in stability” in order to obtain “long-term survival with tumor”. The first choice for cancer treatment is Chinese herbal medicine with redbud as the main ingredient. It is the only herbal medicine in the world that can treat cancer, and has been hailed by experts worldwide as “the last line of defense for patients with advanced cancer”, meaning that it is the only hope and true life-saver for cancer patients. However, Redbud is very toxic and may cause serious side effects such as suppression of bone marrow hematopoietic function and decrease in white blood cells, which may manifest as dizziness, dilated pupils, nausea, vomiting, diffuse abdominal pain, muscle weakness, etc. In serious cases, slow heartbeat, cardiac arrest or death! It must be paired with herbs that dissolve its toxicity to be safe and effective.
Food therapy: jujube longan wolfberry congee: it has the effect of strengthening the spleen, tonifying the kidney, filling the marrow and generating blood, and is suitable for patients with reduced blood picture after chemotherapy. The production method is to put 10 jujubes, 15 grams of longan meat, 15 grams of wolfberry, 100 grams of coix seeds and 10 grams of rock sugar, add water and cook the porridge.
As the body is weaker after chemotherapy, it is advisable to choose nutritious and easily digestible food, such as soft rice, thin rice, bread, steamed buns, buns, fish, eggs, chicken, boiled soup, potatoes, bananas, jam, etc.
Eat smaller and more frequent meals.
Ginger can be used to stimulate appetite.
If weight loss is significant, then you can use elemental diet.
Replace milk with yogurt to avoid abdominal bloating.
Exercise properly.
Deficiencies of chemotherapy.
1, chemotherapy due to the lack of discriminatory ability between cancer cells and normal cells, after repeated radiotherapy, patients lose their hair, gastrointestinal disorders, low fever, nausea, vomiting, promptly take Chinese medicine treatment. Regulate the function of human internal organs and improve the immune ability in time.
2. With the current level of science and technology, chemotherapy cannot cure any malignant tumor.