Chemotherapy Treatments
Chemotherapy is a type of medical treatment that is used to combat cancer. Chemotherapy uses a combination of chemicals that are employed to destroy cancer cells within the body. As the cancer cells are eliminated from the body, healthy cells are destroyed as well. Currently, more than 100 chemicals are used in chemotherapy treatments, but scientists are constantly seeking more chemicals to use in this cancer-fighting procedure.
While chemotherapy is chiefly used to kill cancer cells, it also has the ability to shrink tumors and prevent tumors from growing. This type of chemical therapy can also be used to alleviate pain in patients. Since cancer cells reproduce at a rapid rate, chemotherapy can slow down the process of cancer cell reproduction. This, in turn, reduces the amount of cancerous cells within the body. It also has a negative effect on the body, since chemotherapy interferes with the production of healthy cells as well.
Patients who receive chemotherapy are administered the medication in one of several ways. They can receive the medicine orally, intravenously, or through injections. One popular method of chemotherapy involves placing a catheter into the patient’s vein. As the chemotherapy is sent into the vein, the chemicals are transported to the patient’s heart. From there, the chemicals are transported to other areas of the body.
Cancer patients are administered chemotherapy in accordance with their own particular medical situation. The doctor determines how long the therapy lasts by considering the patient’s type of cancer, whether the cancer has spread throughout the body, and the length of time cancer has been present in the body. A single treatment may last a few minutes, hours, or even days. Chemotherapy treatments may take place weekly, every two weeks, or monthly. Doctors may require that a patient receive treatments for a year.
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As with any type of medication, receiving chemotherapy can cause unpleasant side effects. Since it is a therapy that affects the body’s cells, a patient’s immune system is weakened. He or she may experience more infections. Other side effects include diarrhea, nausea, hair loss, constipation, pain, memory loss, weight loss or gain, sexual impotence, or water retention.
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This entry was posted
on Friday, November 6th, 2009 at 3:49 am and is filed under Health Center, Internet MedicalResources.
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