It is normal for patients to worry, have questions and complications when undergoing chemotherapy (hereafter referred to as chemotherapy), and understanding chemotherapy can ease patient anxiety. Accurate information can help patients to be well prepared for chemotherapy, as well as to somewhat counteract or reduce side effects. Let’s understand what is chemotherapy? What does chemotherapy mean? What are the side effects of chemotherapy? How do you need to manage your daily life during chemotherapy?
What is chemotherapy?
Chemotherapy, or chemotherapy for short, is a treatment method that uses drugs or chemicals to treat a disease. Most people associate chemotherapy with the treatment of cancer.
Many drugs used can be used to treat cancer, but not all cancers are treated with the same drugs or methods. Medical research allows health care workers to use the most effective drugs to target different cancers. You may use one drug or multiple drugs at the same time, and you may receive only chemotherapy or multiple treatment options of chemotherapy, surgery, radiation therapy and biologic therapy at the same time.
How does chemotherapy work?
Our bodies are made up of hundreds of millions of cells, each with a unique function. Some cells make up organs, such as the heart, lungs and kidneys, and others exhibit specific functions, such as carrying oxygen to tissues and defending against infection. In a healthy body, normal cells work together. However, normal cells sometimes become abnormal, for example, by becoming cancerous. Cancer cells do not work properly to meet the needs of the body. The development of these cells is not controlled by the body. When cancer cells metastasize to other parts of the body, they are called metastatic cancer cells. Chemotherapy can be a targeted treatment to prevent cancer cells from metastasizing.
Chemotherapy destroys cells, and it is most effective on cells that multiply rapidly. Because cancer cells usually grow faster than normal cells, they usually become the target cells for chemotherapy. When chemotherapy drugs enter the bloodstream, the blood carries the drugs to cancer cells in the body.
How is chemotherapy given? There are several ways.
By mouth
Intramuscular or soft tissue injection
Blood or arterial injection
Internal body space injection (such as the abdomen or the space around the lungs)
Direct skin application
Our medical staff will explain to you in detail the chemotherapy regimen you are taking.
Where will the chemotherapy be given?
You may receive chemotherapy in the hospital, as an outpatient, or at home. The location of your chemotherapy depends on the treatment plan you choose. Our medical staff will explain this to you.
What is the duration of chemotherapy?
The duration of your chemotherapy treatment depends on the type of cancer and how it responds to chemotherapy. In most cases, our doctors will tell you the approximate duration of treatment, which may change at any time during the course of treatment.
What is the length of each treatment session?
The length of each treatment session is determined by the medications and specific treatment plan, as well as whether you need blood work and other tests. Your supervising physician and nurse will explain this to you in detail.
Are there any side effects of chemotherapy?
Chemotherapy drugs can affect both normal and cancer cells. Although the cells targeted by chemotherapy are fast-growing cancer cells, chemotherapy can still destroy normal cells. The effects on normal cells can cause side effects. Patients can have different side effects from the different treatments they receive.