Under one chemotherapy one understands the treatment with the help of so-called cytostatics, which are able to stop malignant tumors or cancer cells from multiplying and can even lead to their death. These substances can be used in cancer diseases, i.e. malignant tumors. Chemotherapy is a particularly useful treatment method for cancer, which can spread throughout the body. However, since chemotherapy usually has severe side effects, it is an enormous challenge for the patient's body.
application
The areas of application of the chemotherapy count various cancers such as breast cancer or colon cancer. Since the cytostatics can work throughout the body, they are mainly used for cancer that has spread to several organs, although the actual cancer is in a local area.
Many patients have already been completely cured by chemotherapy, also with leukemia or lymph gland cancer, which are very aggressive types of cancer because they are located throughout the body and enormously weaken the immune system. This type of treatment is known as curative therapy. Complete healing through chemotherapy can also be brought about by local tumors (e.g. testicular cancer).
Chemotherapy is also used for advanced cancer when tumors have already formed in the lymph nodes and other organs. These metastases are supposed to be inhibited with the help of the therapy in order to achieve a higher life expectancy. In the case of prostate, lung or colon cancer in the advanced stage, for example, chemotherapy usually only has the aim of alleviating what is known as palliative therapy.
Nowadays, chemotherapy is mostly done on an outpatient basis, but at several intervals. During such a treatment cycle, the medication is administered to the patient in the form of infusions, syringes or tablets. Since cancer cells are among the fast-growing cells, they are attacked immediately by the cytostatics, but unfortunately also healthy cells, such as mucous membrane cells (also count among the fast-growing cells). In the breaks between the cycles, the body can recover and in the best case, renew the healthy tissue again. Treatment is considered successful if cancerous tissue has not grown, shrunk, or has completely disappeared.
Side effects & dangers
Since the drugs attack not only malignant tumor cells, but also healthy cells, it happens in one chemotherapy mostly to some side effects, which are a great burden for the body. The cells that are also attacked include, above all, the hair root cells, the mucous membrane cells and the blood-forming cells in bone marrow.
The main side effects are nausea (often associated with vomiting), hair loss, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, anemia or blood clotting disorder, organ disorder and an increased risk of infections. The occurrence of the side effect can vary widely: some can occur after a few hours or days, some after months or even years. The side effects vary depending on the dose and the duration of the chemotherapy.
The physical and psychological condition of the patient also plays a decisive role in how he deals with the disease and whether he looks towards a healing effect positively. Many of the side effects that occur with chemotherapy can now be reduced by applying additional therapeutic measures.
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