Side effects of Chemotherapy
Posted on May 10, 2008
Filed Under Cancer Chemotherapy, Chemotherapy | Leave a Comment
Chemotherapy can cause different side effects to different people due to different administration of different drugs and the dosage of drugs.
A particular drug may not be suited to some people but the same drug may be useful for some others. A lot depends on finding the right dose that will be effective against the cancer but still be tolerable for each person. The doctor has to monitor this aspect. Of course, drugs are available to somewhat manage and control these side effects. Some of the side effects of chemotherapy are:
Nausea and Vomiting: Some people never have nausea or vomiting. Others are nauseated every day of treatment. Some people have nausea that lingers more than a week beyond chemotherapy. However, these side effects can almost always be controlled, or at least substantially reduced, by a variety of drugs and lifestyle changes.
Hair loss: Chemotherapy may make hair loss completely, cause it to thin, or not affect it at all. The doctor will be able to tell how specific drug will affect hair. Most people’s hair will begin to grow after the treatments are over. It’s not unusual for the hair to come back in a different color or texture. Hair loss can occur on all parts of the body—not just the head. Sometimes it falls out right away, sometimes after a few treatments.
Fatigue and anemia: Many women experience fatigue after breast cancer treatment. This fatigue can range from mild to nearly debilitating. The fatigue is often the result of anemia, a condition caused when chemotherapy reduces red blood cell count.
Mouth sores: Chemotherapy can cause sores in the mouth and in the throat. These sores can easily become infected from bacteria and viruses present in the mouth. The drugs can also make mouth tissues dry or irritated and cause them to bleed.
Taste and smell changes: Chemotherapy may cause changes in taste and smell sensations. Foods may taste bitter or rancid, and it may develop an aversion to certain foods. Many women report that their food tastes metallic. This happens because chemotherapy alters the receptor cells in mouth that tell the brain the flavor tasted and the odor smelled. Sensations of taste and smell should return to normal several weeks after treatment has stopped.
Suppression of the immune system, infertility and diarrhea are also the side effects of chemotherapy.
Menopause and Fertility: During chemotherapy, the menstrual periods may become irregular or may stop altogether. If it is childbearing age, periods may come back once the treatment has stopped. But if it is close to menopause, the periods may never come back. That means that it will not only stop having periods, but also may not be able to conceive a child.
Apart from the above, there are other side effects which include fluid retention, rashes, irritated bladder, swelling and soreness of the mucous membranes, and numbness and aching of the joints, hands, and feet.
Breast Cancer Chemotherapy: An Ideal Solution
Posted on May 10, 2008
Filed Under Breast Cancer, Cancer Chemotherapy | Leave a Comment
Use of anti-cancer drugs to kill cancer cells is referred as Chemotherapy. The doctor who determines the drugs and the dosage is known as a medical oncologist. Chemotherapy can be used for three major purposes: Adjuvant therapy: The goal is to prevent or postpone cancer from coming back after the initial surgery and radiation. Even when the cancer seems to be confined to the breast and lymph glands under the arm, there is a chance that cells may have already spread to other areas that cannot be seen. Chemotherapy is given to try and kill these cells. Neo-adjuvant therapy: Sometimes the cancer in the breast is so big that shrinking it first with chemotherapy may make it easier to do surgery and to treat metastatic disease. If the cancer shows up in parts of the body other than the breast and lymph glands under the arm, it is called metastatic disease. Chemotherapy can be one of the main ways to kill cancer cells that have spread to other parts of the body, and help woman live longer with good quality of life.
Some of the most common chemotherapy drugs used to treat breast cancer include the following: Anthracyclines: This class of drugs includes doxorubicin (Adriamycin), epirubicin (Ellence), and liposomal doxorubicin (Doxil); Taxanes: This class of drugs includes docetaxel (Taxotere), paclitaxel (Taxol), and protein-bound paclitaxel (Abraxane); Cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan); Capecitabine (Xeloda) and 5 fluorouracil (5 FU); Vinorelbine (Navelbine); Gemcitabine (Gemzar); Trastuzumab (Herceptin): This drug is only of use in women whose cancers have the Her2 gene.
They are usually given in 2-4 week cycles. In adjuvant and neo-adjuvant settings, they are usually given in combinations of two or more drugs. Single agent (one drug at a time) can be a good choice in treating cancer that has already spread to other areas.
Chemotherapy is given either by mouth or injected into a vein daily, weekly or every 2-4 weeks. The treatment plan is designed for particular condition. Sometimes, if a person’s veins are hard to find, it can help to place something called a “port-a-cath” (completely covered with skin and requires no care) or a “Hickman” catheter (hangs outside the chest and must be cleaned and flushed) in a large vein. These devices are inserted by a surgeon or radiologist and have an opening to the skin, allowing chemotherapy medications to be given. They can also be used to administer fluids or take blood samples. The catheters are placed on an outpatient basis using local anesthesia. Once chemotherapy is finished, they can be easily removed.
There are many different chemotherapy drugs, and combinations of drugs, used to treat breast cancer. Research is always being carried out to improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy whilst reducing the side effects.
Chemotherapy drugs can cause side effects, but these can usually be well controlled with medicines. Chemotherapy can reduce the production of white blood cells by the bone marrow. Chemotherapy can reduce the production of platelets, which help the blood to clot. Chemotherapy leads to anemic. Some chemotherapy drugs can make people sick and a few others make mouth sore. Some chemotherapy drugs may make hair fall out. Chemotherapy affects people in different ways. Some people find they are able to lead a fairly normal life during their treatment, but many people become very tired and have to take things much more slowly.
A Brief Outline on Chemotherapy
Posted on May 9, 2008
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Some types of cancer are cured by Chemotherapy treatment. Some general information is given here, about chemotherapy. Cancer refers to cancer, leukemia and lymphoma. Sometimes chemotherapy is used to treat non-cancerous conditions but often the doses are lower and the side effects may be reduced.
There are over 200 different types of cancer and over 50 chemotherapy drugs, which can be given in various ways. It is best to discuss the details of treatment with a specialist doctor, who will be familiar with particular situation and type of cancer. Chemotherapy is the use of anti-cancer (cytotoxic) drugs to destroy cancer cells (including leukemia and lymphoma). Combination chemotherapy is administration of some of the chemotherapy drugs together among the 50 different chemotherapy drugs. The type of chemotherapy treatment you are given depends on many things, but particularly: the type of cancer, where the cancer started in the body, what the cancer cells look like under the microscope and whether the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
Chemotherapy may be used alone to treat some types of cancer. It may also be used with other types of treatment such as surgery, radiotherapy, hormonal therapy, biological therapies, or a combination of these.
Prevention of cancer cells dividing and reproducing themselves is done by Chemotherapy drugs. As the drugs are carried in the blood, they can reach cancer cells anywhere in the body. They are also taken up by some healthy cells. Healthy cells can repair the damage caused by chemotherapy, but cancer cells cannot and so they eventually die. Different chemotherapy drugs damage cancer cells in different ways. Unfortunately, as the chemotherapy drugs can also affect some of the healthy cells in the body, they can cause unpleasant side effects. However, damage to the healthy cells is usually temporary and most side effects will disappear once the treatment is over.
Healthy cells in certain parts of the body are especially sensitive to chemotherapy drugs; these parts of the body include: the bone marrow (which makes blood cells), the hair follicles, the lining of the mouth and the digestive system.
Chemotherapy is usually given as a series of sessions of treatment. Each session is followed by a rest period. The session of chemotherapy and the rest period is known as a cycle of treatment. A series of cycles makes up a course of treatment. Each session of chemotherapy destroys more of the cancer cells, and the rest period allows the normal cells and tissues to recover. Chemotherapy is likely to destroy all the cancer cells and cure the disease in some type of cancer. Chemotherapy may also be given after surgery to destroy any cancer cells that remain. Chemotherapy may be given to shrink a cancer before another treatment such as surgery.
Chemotherapy can be used before an operation to shrink a cancer that is too large to be removed easily during an operation. Chemotherapy can be given to remove small cancer cells visible after the operation. Sometimes chemotherapy is given at the same time as radiotherapy. This is known as chemo radiotherapy.
