Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a widely used anti-cancer treatment that employs drugs to destroy cancer cells or slow their growth. It is effective for treating a variety of cancers, either alone or in combination with other treatments like targeted therapy/ immunotherapy, surgery and radiation therapy.

Many different chemotherapy drugs are available. Chemotherapy drugs can be used alone or in combination to treat a wide variety of cancers.

There are a variety of settings in which chemotherapy may be used in people with cancer:

As a primary treatment: Chemotherapy may be the sole treatment to cure the cancer without other therapies.

Adjuvant therapy: After treatments like surgery, chemotherapy can target and kill any remaining hidden cancer cells.

Neoadjuvant therapy: Chemotherapy can help shrink tumors before other treatments such as surgery or radiation, making them more effective.

Palliative chemotherapy: In cases where curing the cancer is not possible, chemotherapy may help relieve symptoms by reducing the cancer's size.

Chemotherapy for conditions other than cancer

Some chemotherapy drugs have proved useful in treating other conditions, such as:

Bone marrow diseases. Diseases that affect the bone marrow and blood cells may be treated with a bone marrow transplant, also known as a stem cell transplant. Chemotherapy is often used to prepare for a bone marrow transplant.

Immune system disorders. Lower doses of chemotherapy drugs can help control an overactive immune system in certain diseases, such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.

Risks and Side Effects

Chemotherapy works by killing rapidly dividing cancer cells. As it wipes out cancer cells, it also can destroy fast-growing healthy cells, which may cause side effects.

Lower blood cell production.

Your bone marrow's ability to make blood cells might decrease and cause:

• anemia
• bleeding
• susceptibility to infections- You may make fewer white blood cells, which protect your body from infections. An elevated body temperature may be the earliest sign of an infection.

Gastrointestinal symptoms

• Diarrhea
• Nausea and vomiting
• Constipation
• Hair loss
• Mouth ulcer