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Chemotherapy
All About Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment where drugs are given to the patient to destroy and kill the cancer cells. It works by killing rapidly dividing cells like cancerous cells and other healthy cells such as hair follicles, bone marrow and the reproductive system. I have listed some valuable information for you to read in one easy-to-read webpage. This is a free service for our valued readers which can be located on this link: Chemotherapy
Usually the chemotherapy drugs are given intravenously which means they are injected into a vein of the patient. However, there are some drugs that are administered through injection into the muscles while others are given orally. Doctors and researchers are still trying to evaluate and study whether a patient suffering from a particular type of cancer may be benefited to a greater extent if the chemotherapy drug is directly administered into the cancerous area. Chemotherapy is a cyclic treatment which means that there is a period when drugs are given and this is followed by a period of recovery. This process is continued until the patient completely recovers. Often even after the cancer is destroyed, chemotherapy drugs are given until the time the patient's body can tolerate them.
Chemotherapy can be conducted anywhere such as the outpatient department of the hospital, in a doctor's office or even at the patient's home. Usually there is no need to stay in the hospital to receive chemotherapy treatment.There are different side effects of chemotherapy and most of them depend on the type of drug used and the dosage given. When blood cells are affected because of chemotherapy, the white blood count reduces dramatically along with the platelet counts. A patient then is more prone to illnesses as the body's defense mechanism is hindered. On the lighter side there are side effects like vomiting, nausea, hair loss, dry mouth, constipation and loss of appetite. Beware that some problems like damage to heart, lungs and kidneys can show later on after the treatment. However, not all cancer patients get all the side effects. Some patients suffer from few side effects while others from all of them. There are also patients who do not have any side effects from chemotherapy.
While chemotherapy is an effective tool in shrinking tumors and slowing the spread of cancerous cells it is oftentimes used in conjunction with other medications and other forms of treatment for the best results. When chemotherapy is combined with either surgery or radiation there is an increased success rate in slowing or ceasing the spread of the cancer throughout the body. Sometimes chemotherapy is the only treatment a patient receives. More often, however, chemotherapy is used in addition to surgery, radiation therapy and biological therapy. For more information on chemotherapy feel free to visit our website.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/cancer-articles/all-about-chemotherapy-704315.html
Information & Support to Begin Cancer Treatment - Chemotherapy.com
Provides educational and support information about chemotherapy and associated side effects for cancer patients and their caregivers.
Chemotherapy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Chemotherapy: What It Is, How It Helps
Overview article from the American Cancer Society.
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