The number of chemotherapy sessions varies according to the patient’s tumor type, stage, and sensitivity of chemotherapy drugs. If chemotherapy is stopped after 4 times, there may be no obvious adverse effects, or there may be adverse effects such as tumor recurrence or progression.
1. For early-stage tumors, some patients need adjuvant chemotherapy after radical surgery to eliminate residual lesions through chemotherapeutic drugs, minimize the risk of postoperative recurrence and consolidate the efficacy of surgery. The number of adjuvant chemotherapy is usually 4-6 times. In this case, there may not be obvious adverse consequences after 4 times of chemotherapy, but it is still necessary to insist on regular and regular follow-up.
2. For middle and advanced tumors, most patients can no longer be eradicated by surgical treatment. Especially for patients with advanced tumors, palliative chemotherapy is recommended to reduce the extent of the tumor and the risk of distant tumor metastasis, so as to improve the life treatment of the patients and prolong the survival time of the patients. The course of palliative chemotherapy is usually 6-8 times. Therefore, in this case, if the patient stops chemotherapy after only 4 times, it is likely to cause the residual cancer cells to continue to grow and proliferate rapidly, or even metastasize, and shorten the survival time of the patient.
To sum up, the number of chemotherapy treatments needs to be formulated by specialists based on the patient’s condition and the sensitivity of chemotherapy drugs, etc. It is recommended that patients should follow the doctor’s instructions for treatment and regular follow-up, and should not terminate the chemotherapy program on their own.