Chemotherapy. What is it and what is it used for?

Chemotherapy is the treatment of malignant neoplasms with the help of highly toxic substances. With many types of cancer, it is a key medication that helps fight affected cells. Chemotherapy, what it is, and how effective it is, we'll look at this article.

What makes chemotherapy possible?

As is known, despite the obvious progress in medicine, a medicine to combat cancer has never been invented. Removal of the tumor does not always lead to complete recovery. Very often the disease starts metastasis in healthy organs. Why do I need chemotherapy?

1. To destroy cancer cells.
2. To control the disease. Under the influence of chemical preparations, the tumor slows down growth, metastases are destroyed.
3. With palliative care. When it becomes clear that the tumor is inoperable and it is useless to fight it, chemotherapy can alleviate the symptoms of the patient (reduce the size of the tumor so that it does not press on healthy organs).

To combat such a stern opponent as cancer, doctors prefer to use combined methods. Chemotherapy (what it is, we have already discussed above) is often combined with a surgical method. It allows you to:

• Reduce the size of the tumor (before surgery or irradiation);
• To destroy the remaining cancer cells or metastases after surgery (chemotherapy after surgery);
• Prevent the appearance of tumor recurrence or metastases;
• Strengthen the effect of radiation therapy and biotherapy.

How is it implemented?

To conduct courses of chemotherapy can be in a hospital or at home, the main condition is a constant supervision of a doctor who, in case of an incorrect reaction of the body to drugs, will replace them. The solution is administered by intramuscular injection (for example, in the arm, thigh), intravenously (into the peripheral or central vein), intraarterially (inserted into the artery that saturates the tumor), intraperitoneally (the drug enters the abdominal region), orally (ingested In the form of tablets or liquid) and by rubbing into the skin.

Disadvantages and side effects of chemotherapy

Chemotherapy, what is it? Effective treatment or a waste of time? The effectiveness of this procedure in the fight against cancerous tumors has been proven more than once. As for side effects, then, of course, they are:

1. Hair loss. Most of the drugs used in chemotherapy, leads to total hair loss.
2. Nausea followed by vomiting. Chemicals contact the brain cells and the walls of the stomach, causing a vomitive reflex. To reduce these symptoms, a special diet is prescribed.
3. Change in blood composition.
4. Weakness. The appearance of this symptom, as well as chilliness of the extremities, rapid fatigue, frequent breathing is a signal for a complaint to the doctor.
5. Problems with blood coagulability.
6. Change in the condition of the skin and nails.
7. Decreased immunity.

Treatment after chemotherapy is prescribed by a doctor and is aimed at the rehabilitation of the body. In this case, the patient must give up physical exertion and eat right. Chemotherapy, which is an effective tool in the fight against a tumor, is not necessary to doubt, it is necessary, but it must be understood that depending on the location of the tumor, the stage of the disease it will be clear how successful it is.