Chemotherapy: Side-Effects And Treatment

Chemotherapy: Side-Effects And Treatment

Chemotherapy is categorized as a form of chemical drug therapy used to treat rapid cell growth in the body. You must have come across cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment. Chemotherapy, colloquially known as chemo treatment, is effective in the treatment of cancer. Apart from cancer, it is also used to treat bone marrow diseases and various immune system disorders. Chemo treatment is also used during the transplant of stem cells while treating bone marrow diseases.

When Does One Undergo Chemotherapy Treatment?

Most commonly known as a cancer treatment, one may undergo chemo treatment for other reasons as well. It is even used to kill cancer cells that might stay hidden in your body after surgery. Medical professionals term this as an adjuvant therapy meaning that it is an additional countermeasure to prevent the ailment from recurring.

Along with this, chemo treatment is also used to help shrink tumors so that procedures such as radiation and surgery are doable if required. This is called neoadjuvant therapy. Lastly, palliative chemotherapy treatment is used to mitigate signs of cancer, if they exist.

What Are The Types of Chemotherapy Treatment?

There are many types of chemotherapy drugs. Specific drugs are used to treat different types of diseases. Some major chemotherapy types based on the drugs used are as follows:

Alkylating agents and antimetabolites are used to treat leukemia, lymphoma, cancers of the lung, breast, and ovary, whereas Topoisomerase Inhibitors are used to treat lung, ovarian, gastrointestinal, and other such cancers. Mitotic Inhibitors, meanwhile, are used to treat myeloma, lymphomas, along with leukemia, breast, or lung cancer.

How Does Chemotherapy Treatment Help?

Chemo treatment helps control/eliminate the growth of carcinogenic or cancer cells in your body. Unlike other forms of treatment such as radiation therapy, which targets only specific areas of your anatomy, chemotherapy works on your entire body.

What Are The Side-Effects Of Chemotherapy?

Advanced medical treatments, including chemotherapy, come with their fair share of side-effects. Chemo treatment has both short-term and long-term side-effects as well. Some short-term side-effects of chemotherapy include:

• Vomiting
• Nausea
• Mouth sores
• Fever
• Diarrhea
• Easy bruising
• Fatigue
• Pain
• Constipation

These short-term chemotherapy side-effects are temporary and treatable. However, there are certain long-term effects of chemotherapy treatment such as heart damage, kidney problems, infertility, damage to the nervous system, lung tissue damage, and in some instance, the risk of another cancer.

It is important to be aware of the side-effects of your treatment plan to face them with courage.These types of diseases are usually covered by a medical insurance plan although there are also a lot of health insurance plans for cancer which cover the treatment charges.

Cancer is deadly and can be devastating, both to the diagnosed individuals and their friends and family. It even causes a lot of emotional and physical turmoil; however, with early detection and the right treatment plan, the terminal illness can be defeated.

While you research about chemotherapy, you can also learn more about other forms of treatments like Radiotherapy, Colostomy, and more in our health guide section. Click here to stay updated!

And to everyone battling cancer, you are a hero! More power to you!

Sources -

https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/chemotherapy/about/pac-20385033

https://www.healthline.com/health/chemotherapy

https://www.webmd.com/cancer/chemotherapy-what-to-expect#1

https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000910.htm