Chemotherapy as an effective method of treatment in oncology
A course of chemotherapy in oncology is one of the effective methods aimed at destroying a malignant tumor, prolonging the life of a cancer patient and improving its quality. During chemotherapy, chemical drugs are used that eliminate both primary malignant cells and metastases (that is, the spread of primary tumor cells to other tissues).
The essence of the chemotherapy method is as follows. Chemotherapy (or, according to another name, chemotherapeutic agent), which is used in this method of treatment - by its properties, it is a poison for tumor cells, which destroys their internal and external structures, prevents reproduction and ultimately kills them, thereby not allowing the tumor grows.
One of the questions most often asked by patients is whether chemotherapy is effective for metastases. Metastases are tumor cells that have broken away from the primary tumor and "spread" to organs and tissues, that is, their cellular structure is the same. When affecting metastatic "growths", chemotherapy is effective to the same extent as it is effective when affecting the primary tumor. Another important point: it is not always possible to surgically remove these cells from the tissues. And this means that chemotherapy will cope with the task where the scalpel cannot reach.
Also, patients are often interested in what to do after chemotherapy. In the first month after completing the course, you must be under the close supervision of your doctor. He will prescribe additional examinations, the results of which will determine the effectiveness of treatment (especially chemotherapy) and further tactics.
Types of chemotherapy
This method is used at completely different stages of treatment in oncology. Accordingly, the following types of chemotherapy are distinguished:
- preoperative - it slows down the reproduction and growth of tumor cells, thereby creating more favorable conditions for surgical treatment;
- postoperative, when it is necessary to eliminate remaining tumor cells that could not be removed with a surgical scalpel (for example, due to the proximity of a nerve trunk or blood vessel);
- healing, which is used as an independent method of treatment when surgical removal of the tumor is impossible due to various reasons (in this case, chemotherapy can compete with such a treatment as radiation therapy for malignant tumors);
- prophylactic, which is used to prevent relapses of the tumor process.
Side effects of chemotherapy
A chemotherapeutic agent is a medical drug, and any pharmacological agent can cause side effects. The most common side effects of chemotherapy are:
- hair loss;
- nausea;
- vomiting;
- pains from internal organs;
- death of a part of blood cells;
- decrease in appetite;
- change in the structure of the skin and nails;
- memory disorders (forgetting names, facts, faces);
- damage to the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract, which in most cases is manifested by stomatitis (inflammation of the mucous membrane of the mouth) and diarrhea (diarrhea).
Hair falls out after chemotherapy because the chemotherapy agent destroys the hair follicle. Changes from the side of the gastrointestinal tract are manifested because the drug for this type of treatment has an adverse effect on the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract. The number of leukocytes and platelets in the blood after chemotherapy decreases because the chemotherapeutic agent suppresses the formation of blood cells. For a similar reason, there are changes in the structure of the skin and nails.
Pains after chemotherapy occur due to the fact that the chemotherapeutic agent affects not only tumor cells, but also healthy ones. First of all, spastic pains may occur in the abdomen, in the area of the heart (it is necessary to distinguish them from pains in real heart diseases), as well as in the arms and legs. In such cases, symptomatic treatment is used - rest, long sleep, painkillers. In case of severe pain, consultation with a narrow specialist (for example, a neurologist for headaches) is indicated.
Sometimes after chemotherapy, headaches arise, which are not directly related to chemotherapy, but to worries about the treatment, its consequences and effectiveness. They are easy to differentiate, because they can appear even before the course of treatment - for example, when a patient asks himself the question of how much chemotherapy costs, whether these costs are critical for the personal budget. We want to reassure you right away: they are not critical, and therefore should not cause neurological manifestations in the form of headaches.
Medical tactics for side effects of chemotherapy
You should not prematurely worry about the possible consequences of chemotherapy. First, they will not necessarily appear. Secondly, if we take into account that the life expectancy of a cancer patient and its quality are at stake, then compared to these important points, the listed side effects do not seem critical. The doctor will choose a treatment after chemotherapy to minimize its side effects. It must be remembered that during this period it is extremely important to observe the correct regime of sleep, rest, and vigorous physical activity. Nutrition during chemotherapy should be full, high-calorie, food should contain a balanced complex of proteins, fats, carbohydrates and minerals.
After completing a course of chemotherapy, the cancer patient remains under the control of his doctor. This is important, because in the first weeks after the course, the body recovers from chemotherapy, which requires monitoring, and in the event of side effects, their adjustment. No specific appointments are made. The physician prescribes periodic additional examinations, with the help of which he determines the further tactics of managing his cancer patient.
So that you can learn more about the effectiveness of chemotherapy in oncology, we invite you to visit the website of our clinic https://dobrobut.com. There you will also find answers to such important questions as the price of chemotherapy in the cancer department.
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