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For Everyone Touched By Cancer
What comes to your mind when you hear the word โchemotherapyโ or itโs shortened form โchemoโ? To some, it reminds them of the day they were diagnosed of cancer and told that chemotherapy is a treatment to consider, to others it's just a dreaded term that they don't really understand. Whichever it is, the mere mention of chemo or chemotherapy can create a rush of emotion in the mind of someone that has been directly or indirectly affected by cancer.
This article answers questions such as
Chemotherapy is a form of chemical drug used to destroy cancer cells. But it is not very specific and it usually doesn't only destroy cancer, it can affect other fast-growing cells in the body which will give rise to side effects. This is discussed later in this article. But we do want to say here that the field of cancer treatment is changing rapidly, the drugs used to treat cancer are now becoming less harsh and more specific and the side effects of chemotherapy are not always as bad as might be expected or as they used to be. This will depend on the type of cancer being treated and its stage. That is why an oncologist, who understands the different drugs, types of cancer and stages of cancer is consulted. They come up with a specific treatment plan and work out the most effective cancer treatment (which usually doesn't just involve chemo, but may involve radiotherapy, surgery or personalized medicine).
Please note however that the role of medical and clinical oncologists actually varies between countries and so this article is speaking in generalities with regards to roles.
In the true sense of it, chemotherapy drugs prevent the cancers from growing, dividing and spreading to other parts of the body, depending on the type and stage of cancer. In the event that cancer cells have started to spread, chemo will be used to slow the growth process. Chemotherapy drugs are also used to manage the symptoms caused by cancer.
Chemotherapy can be used indefinitely and is often combined with other therapies such as surgery, radiotherapy, or hormone therapy to treat cancer. This combination therapy will depend on the stage of cancer, your overall health, and any previous cancer treatment. It can also depend on the location of your cancer and your treatment goals and preferences.
Chemotherapy is sometimes called a systemic treatment because the chemotherapy drugs move through the system by traveling through the blood bloodstream to kill cancer. There is also regional chemotherapy which can be directed to a specific part of the body.
Chemotherapy treatment helps to stop or slow the growth of cancer cells. But in that same process of killing cancer, healthy cells are also affected. The damage done to healthy cells leads to side effects, which is discussed later in this article. There are many different types of chemo drugs and they work in different ways.
Alkylating agents work directly on DNA to keep the cell from reproducing itself. These drugs will kill cells in all phases of the cell cycle.
Examples of alkylating agents are Chlorambucil, Cyclophosphamide, Cisplatin, and Carboplatin.
Nitrosoureas act similar to alkylating agents. They slow down or stop enzymes that help repair DNA.
Examples are Carmustine and Lomustine.
Anti-metabolites interfere with a cellโs RNA and DNA. They only work when cells are dividing.
Examples are Fluorauracil, Methotrexate and Fludarabine.
Plant alkaloids block a cellโs ability to divide and become two cells, and they also block the repair of cells.
Examples are Vincristine, Paclitaxel, and Topotecan.
Anti-tumor antibiotics, also called anti-neoplastic drugs made from micro-organisms. They either break up DNA strands or slow down or stop DNA synthesis that cells need to grow.
Examples are Bleomycin, Doxorubicin and Mitoxantrone.
Chemotherapy drugs can be given in a variety of ways at different places.
Some are administered during the day in the hospital outpatient clinic or a treatment center. It may even be necessary to stay at the hospital if your chemo treatment will be a complex one. But some chemo drugs can be taken in tablet form at home.
Your oncologist will decide what drugs or a combination of drugs to use and how they will be given. They will also decide how often and how long you'll get treatment. These decisions aremade based on the following:
Your doctor will discuss with you which administration process or drugs will help to attack your cancer well. Your doctor or nurse will monitor your chemo for side effects of chemotherapy.
The administration of chemotherapy drugs depends on your type of cancer and type of chemotherapy being used.
Your doctor may need you to take some tests to check your general health conditions. And to make sure the treatment is good for you.
The tests may include:
It should be noted that during your treatment there will be a need for more tests. This is to monitor how well you are responding to treatment.
Your treatment care team will make a plan that shows the following:
You may have chemotherapy in โcycles,โ which means a period of treatment and then a period of rest. For example, a 4-week cycle maybe 1 week of treatment and then 3 weeks of rest. The rest allows your body to make new healthy cells. Once a cycle has been planned out, itโs better not to skip a treatment, but your doctor may suggest it if side effects are serious. Then your medical team will likely plan a new cycle to help you get back on track,
Chemotherapy is a serious treatment option. So it is important to prepare yourself well before your treatment start. Your doctors and health care team will work with you to prepare for potential problems associated with your treatment
Preparing for chemo depends mainly on the drugs you will be given. Your doctor will instruct you on what to do. But please take note of the following
Arrive at your treatment center well-rested. You can talk to your doctor or oncologist nurse how you should prepare. Eat light food before treatment as it may make you nauseous.
Chemotherapy drugs reduce your ability to fight infection. You may need to check your teeth to see if you have signs of infection. This will also reduce your risk of complications from treatment.
Remember to ask your doctor about likely side effects you may experience during and after your treatment. Your health care teams will always be available to provide help on how to deal with your side effects. They may recommend things to eat and exercise that can help. Ask for anti-nausea drugs to deal with nausea if you experience it.
If you are to receive chemotherapy, you will need help. During treatment, help can come in form of transportation to and from the hospital, getting house chores done or other things done for you. Family or trusted friends can be your caregiver at this time. You can even talk to your health care team about what type of caregiving you will need at home.
It helps to prepare, talk to someone outside your cycle of friends and family. It will help to calm your fear about chemo treatment. This will help you gather helpful information that can help you deal with chemo treatment. Individual counseling can also help you work through your emotions.
Chemo might prevent your ability to have children. So if you desire to have children after chemo talk to your doctor about it before you start chemotherapy. That way they can devise a solution that can help you achieve your goal of having children.
Chemo bags can contain helpful items such as warm clothing, healthy snacks, lip balm, and other things to keep you busy when getting your treatment.
if you work, you can talk to your employer about having a time off or reducing your workload. You could talk about having flexible hours or time off.
Cooking during your chemo treatment may not be so easy. So try making some food ahead and freeze them. Also, get healthy food and fruit available at all times.
Before you use over-the-counter medicines or vitamins or herbs, check with your doctor. Since some of these drugs can affect the effectiveness of your chemo drugs.
Before you start your chemo treatment, talk with your health care team about any financial support that might be available for you. This is important especially if your health insurance does not cover your whole treatment.
Ways to avoid infection
This may include doing house chores, laundry, grocery shopping or anything that make your treatment easy for you at home. Your first chemo treatment can be overwhelming but preparing may reduce some of your stress.
Side effects occur because chemo drugs attack not only the cancer cells but also healthy cells. So, in the process of eliminating cancer cells, some fast-growing healthy cells in your body may be affected. Please remember that the damage done to healthy cells can reverse after treatment is complete. Different chemotherapy drugs have different side effects but there are some that are more common.
The listย can seem overwhelming but it's very unlikely that you'll get all of them.
Common side effects are:
Your doctor or specialist nurseย will go through the side effects of each ofย the drugs you are taking and let you know which ones you are likely to get.
Thereย areย lots of ways to manage side effectsย so it's important to let your healthcare team know if you have them so they can help.
You should know that after chemo ends some side effects also goes away.
Chemotherapy is a very effective cancer treatment to consider and can go a long way in destroying your cancer cells, which is something that helps in your treatment
Your team will regularly monitor how effective your treatment is.ย Always share with them information or concerns about your treatment with your health care team. Information and knowledge is key. Please don't be scared off by the side effects, your type of chemo might not have that many!
Oluwatoyin Joy Oke finished her 4 years course/ program in 2018 as a public health practitioner in Osun State University, Nigeria. And has developed in skills involving prevention, treatment and care of diseases.
She works as a Linkage Coordinator connecting people from the community to treatment and care of Tuberculosis and HIV. She recently picked up another skill in writing which she so far enjoy.
She volunteers in creating awareness for people on topics relating to Cancer, mostly the ones common to women (Cervical and breast cancer), mental health, and HIV. In past years she has received certificates of appreciation from different organizations.
Her hobbies are cooking, watching movies, and writing. She places her worship of God as first in her life and giving of herself to her family and others is a priority.
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Guides
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Current Research
FREE STUFF
Empathy eCards
Cartoons & Infographics
Freebies Directory
FEATURED PRODUCTS
We are very grateful toย Mini Me & Luxury for reviewing our Comfort for Chemotherapy gift box
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