Chemotherapy

WHY IT'S DONE

• Metastasis Control: Chemotherapy helps to manage or reduce the spread of cancer to other parts of the body.
• Pre-Surgical Treatment: Often used to shrink tumours before surgical removal, improving the success rate of the surgery.
• Recurrence Prevention: After surgery or radiation, chemotherapy is used to kill any remaining cancer cells to prevent recurrence.
• Combination Therapy: Often combined with other treatments to enhance effectiveness, such as with radiation therapy or targeted therapies.
• Palliative Care: In advanced cancer, chemotherapy may be used to reduce symptoms and improve quality of life.
• High-Risk Cancers: Chemotherapy is used in cancers known for rapid progression or metastasis, such as certain types of lymphoma or leukaemia.
• Cancer Cells: The primary target of chemotherapy drugs, which aim to halt their rapid and uncontrolled growth.

SIDE EFFECT

• Nausea and Vomiting: Common side effects due to the impact of chemotherapy on the digestive system.
• Fatigue: A frequent feeling of tiredness, often resulting from the body's reaction to the drugs.
• Hair Loss: Chemotherapy targets rapidly dividing cells, including those in hair follicles, leading to hair loss.
• Anaemia: Chemotherapy can lower red blood cell counts, leading to fatigue and weakness.
• Weakened Immune System: Reduction in white blood cells can increase susceptibility to infections.
• Mouth Sores: Chemotherapy may cause painful sores in the mouth and throat due to its effect on rapidly dividing cells.
• Neuropathy: Tingling, numbness, or pain in the hands and feet, a result of nerve damage caused by certain chemotherapy drugs.

DIAGANOSIS

• Cancer Staging: Determines the extent of cancer spread, influencing chemotherapy choices and treatment plans.
• Biopsy: Pathological examination of tissue samples to confirm cancer type and guide chemotherapy decisions.
• Imaging Studies: CT scans, MRIs, or PET scans help assess tumour size, location, and response to treatment.
• Blood Tests: Monitor overall health and organ function, ensuring the patient can tolerate chemotherapy.
• Genetic Testing: Identifies specific mutations in cancer cells, allowing for targeted chemotherapy treatment.
• Oncologist Evaluation: A thorough assessment of the cancer type, stage, and patient health to create a tailored treatment plan.
• Tumour Markers: Blood tests for specific proteins or substances produced by cancer cells that help in monitoring the disease.

TYPES OF TREATMENTS

• Intravenous (IV) Chemotherapy: Delivered directly into the bloodstream, this is the most common form of chemotherapy.
• Oral Chemotherapy: Pills or capsules taken by mouth, providing an option for outpatient treatment.
• Adjuvant Chemotherapy: Administered after surgery to eliminate residual cancer cells and prevent recurrence.
• Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy: Given before surgery to shrink tumours, making them easier to remove.
• Targeted Therapy: Drugs that target specific cancer cell mechanisms, often with fewer side effects than traditional chemotherapy.
• Combination Chemotherapy: Involves using multiple chemotherapy drugs to increase effectiveness and reduce drug resistance.
• Maintenance Chemotherapy: Lower-dose chemotherapy given over an extended period to keep cancer in remission.