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What is Chemotherapy?
How you prepare for chemotherapy depends on which drugs you'll receive and how they'll be administered. Your doctor will give you specific instructions to prepare for your chemotherapy treatments. You may need to: Have a device surgically inserted before intravenous chemotherapy. If you'll be receiving your chemotherapy intravenously into a vein your doctor may recommend a device, such as a catheter, port or pump. The catheter or other device is surgically implanted into a large vein, usually in your chest. Chemotherapy drugs can be given through the device.; Have your blood tested for certain genes. People with certain genes in their cells may process some chemotherapy drugs differently from people without these genes. This can cause additional side effects. For this reason, your doctor may recommend a blood test to look for genes that indicate certain drugs should be avoided or given in altered doses.; Make arrangements for help at home and at work. Most chemotherapy treatments are given in an outpatient clinic, which means most people are able to continue working and doing their usual activities during chemotherapy. Your doctor can tell you how much the chemotherapy will affect your usual activities, but it's difficult to predict just how you'll feel. Plan ahead by asking for time off work or help around the house for the first few days after treatment. If you'll be in the hospital during chemotherapy treatment, make arrangements to take time off work and find a friend or family member to take care of your children, pets or home.; Plan ahead for side effects. Ask your doctor what side effects you can expect during and after chemotherapy and make appropriate arrangements. For instance, if your chemotherapy treatment will cause infertility, you may wish to store sperm or fertilized eggs for future use. If your chemotherapy will cause hair loss, consider planning for a head covering.; See your dentist. Your doctor may recommend that a dentist check your teeth for...
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Also known as Drug Therapy, Pharmacotherapy, Drug Therapies, Chemotherapies, Pharmacotherapies, cancer drug therapy
Chemotherapy information from trusted sources:
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a drug treatment that uses powerful chemicals to kill fast-growing cells in your body. Chemotherapy is most often used to treat cancer, since cancer cells grow and multiply much more quickly than most cells in the body. Read more on
www.mayoclinic.com
Chemotherapy
Normally, your cells grow and die in a controlled way. Cancer cells keep forming without control. Chemotherapy is drug therapy that can stop these cells from multiplying. However, it can also harm healthy cells, which causes side effects. During chemotherapy you may have no side effects or just a few. The kinds of side effects you have depend on the type and dose of chemotherapy you get. Side effects vary, but common ones are nausea, vomiting, tiredness, pain and hair loss. Healthy cells usually recover after chemotherapy, so most side effects gradually go away. Read more on
www.nlm.nih.gov
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a treatment for cancer. It uses medication to kill cancerous cells. Read more on
www.nhs.uk
Chemotherapy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Chemotherapy, in the most simple sense, is the treatment of an ailment by chemicals especially by killing micro-organisms or cancerous cells. ... Read more on
en.wikipedia.org
Chemotherapy Treatment Information and Drug Side Effects on ...
Mar 10, 2011 ... Often, side effects get better or go away after chemotherapy is over. ... What chemotherapy side effects have you experienced? ... Read more on
www.medicinenet.com
What It Is, How It Helps
Chemo - What It Is, How It Helps. This easy-to-read guide explains chemotherapy at a basic level. Click on the topics below to get started. ... Read more on
www.cancer.org
Chemotherapy
Oct 28, 2009 ... Chemotherapy treatment uses medicine to weaken and destroy cancer cells in the body, including cells at the original cancer site and any ... Read more on
www.breastcancer.org
Chemotherapy and You: Support for People With Cancer - National ...
Jun 29, 2007 ... Information about what to expect during chemotherapy and what patients can do to take care of themselves during and after treatment. Read more on
www.cancer.gov
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy medications are used to treat cancer throughout the body by killing actively dividing cells. Learn more about chemo. Read more on
kidshealth.org
Contents
How it is performed
Many primary care trusts (PCTs) have multi-disciplinary teams (MDTs) who treat cancer. An MDT is made up of a number of different specialists, including...
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www.nhs.uk
How it works
The principle behind chemotherapy was discovered by accident during World War Two, when a number of sailors were accidentally exposed to mustard gas.
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www.nhs.uk
Information
Chemotherapy drugs can be given by mouth or injection. Because the medicines travel through the blood stream to the entire body, chemotherapy is considered a body-wide (systemic) treatment.
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www.nlm.nih.gov
Results
You'll meet with your cancer doctor (oncologist) regularly during chemotherapy treatment. Your oncologist will ask about any side effects you're experiencing, since many can be controlled.
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www.mayoclinic.com
Risks
Side effects of chemotherapy drugs can be significant. Each drug has different side effects. Ask your doctor about the side effects of the particular drugs you'll receive.
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www.mayoclinic.com
Side effects
It is difficult to predict exactly what side effects you will experience while having chemotherapy because different people react to treatment in different ways. A small number of people experience very few or even no side effects.
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www.nhs.uk
What you can expect
Determining which chemotherapy drugs you'll receive Your doctor chooses which chemotherapy drugs you'll receive based on several factors, including: Type of cancer; Stage of cancer; Overall health; Previous cancer treatments; Your goals and preferences
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Why it's done
In people with cancer, chemotherapy may be used: To kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy can be used as the primary or sole treatment for cancer. In some cases, chemotherapy is used with the goal of curing your cancer. In other cases, chemotherapy may be used with the aim that it will slow the cancer's growth.; After other treatments to kill hidden cancer cells. Chemotherapy can be used after other treatments, such as surgery, to kill any cancer cells that might remain in the body. Doctors call this adjuvant therapy.; To prepare you for other treatments. Chemotherapy can be used to shrink a tumor so that other treatments, such as radiation and surgery, are possible. Doctors call this neoadjuvant therapy.; To ease signs and symptoms. Chemotherapy may help relieve signs and symptoms of advanced cancer, such as pain. This is called palliative chemotherapy.
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www.mayoclinic.com