Chemotherapy is a potent chemical medicinal treatment that targets the body’s rapidly multiplying cells. In the treatment of cancer, it’s often employed since malignant cells grow and divide more quickly than normal cells.
An oncologist is a doctor who specialises in cancer therapy. They’ll collaborate with you to create a treatment plan that works best for you.
Another treatment like as surgery, radiation or hormone therapy may be done together with chemotherapy. Combination treatment is used if and only if:
- the stage and type of cancer you have
- your overall health
- previous cancer treatments you’ve had
- the location of the cancer cells
- your personal treatment preferences
Systemic therapy implies it affects the whole body. Aside from the possibility of life-altering adverse effects, chemotherapy has been shown to be helpful in the fight against cancer cells. When considering whether or not chemotherapy is best for you, you should evaluate these adverse effects against the possibility of not receiving treatment.
Chemotherapy is primarily used to:
- lower the total number of cancer cells in your body
- reduce the likelihood of cancer spreading
- shrink tumor size
- reduce current symptoms
Chemotherapy is often recommended for cancer patients who have had surgery to remove malignant tumours such as a lumpectomy for breast cancer.
It is frequently used as a prelude to other therapies, such as radiation therapy. A tumour might be surgically excised or prepared for radiation treatment by taking this medication.
Chemotherapy may be able to alleviate discomfort in patients with advanced cancer.
Additionally, chemotherapy may be used to treat bone marrow problems and immune system issues, as well as for cancer treatment.
Disorders like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, in which the immune system destroys healthy cells, may be treated with doses far lower than those used to treat cancer.
