When one utters word chemotherapy, people get scared as to its visible side effects like hair loss. However, one should also remember that chemotherapy is one of the best methods of treatment of cancer of any origin. Mainly, chemotherapy is thought of as a treatment option when surgical intervention is not possible due to metastasis of cancer.

This means, chemotherapy is administered usually in second stages of cancer. Many times, it is given as an adjunct to surgery and radiation. During chemotherapy, certain drugs are administered intravenously to the patient. These drugs are capable of halting the division and reproduction of cancer cells in the body. More than 200 chemotherapy drugs are in use out of which around 50 are combined to form combination drugs.

Serial seating is usually required for chemotherapy treatment and the patient is given chemo every two or three weeks. Chemotherapy is very potent to destroy almost all cancer cells. But during destruction of tumor cells, it also attacks normal cells thus resulting in unwanted side effects. That’s why along with chemotherapy, anti-sickness medicine is administered to reduce the after effects. Also the rest period between two chemotherapy cycles gives the healthy cells a chance to recover. Whatever are its side effects; chemotherapy has remained a major cancer treatment since long and will remain the same.


Tags:, , , , ,