Doctors often recommend chemotherapy as a treatment for cancer. It has been observed that patients don’t know what cancer is. And above all, they don’t know what chemotherapy is. Without knowing what exactly chemotherapy is, patients tend to have fear in their minds. It’s essential to clear all the doubts and misconceptions about chemotherapy for cancer as it will help to eliminate fear in patients’ minds.
What Is Cancer?
Cells are the basic units of the human body. They grow and divide to make new cells as the body needs them. Cells usually die when they get too old or damaged, and then new cells take their place.
Cancer begins when genetic changes interfere with this orderly process. Cancer cells keep growing without control, forming a mass called a tumour, which can be cancerous or benign. Chemotherapy is drug therapy for cancer. It kills the cancer cells, stops them from spreading, or slows their growth.
If this cancerous tumour spreads to other parts of the body, it is termed stage IV cancer. To prevent the development of this tumour, it’s necessary to kill these cancerous cells. Chemotherapy treatments are used to kill those cancerous cells.
What Is Chemotherapy?
Chemotherapy is not as dangerous as people perceive it. It is similar to the treatment given by any other drug or by injection, which is either saline or tablets. These medicines spread in the body and kill growing cancerous cells. This is how cancer can be controlled, decreased in intensity, or withdrawn altogether.
Effects of Chemotherapy and Tips Chemotherapy is designed to kill cells that divide quickly. While cancer cells are these kinds of cells, other cells in your body also divide quickly. Cells in the following areas can be adversely affected: blood, hair, and skin. Because of this, the side effects of chemotherapy include hair loss, low blood cells or nail darkening. Most side effects of chemotherapy subside when treatment is over. The cancer cells we kill are killed to a greater extent, and their impact is quite long-lasting.
Therefore, patients need not fear chemotherapy. Much advancement has come due to new medical science in chemo. If we correctly use these medicines, we would avoid chemotherapy’s side effects and provide maximum benefits to patients. Also, it will help to prolong the patient’s life. If the patient undergoes chemotherapy following the correct method and under the guidance of a medical oncologist, then it will help the patient and curb the side effects to a great extent.
The more you share with your doctor about how chemotherapy is affecting you, the better your treatment experience will be. You’ll want to tell them about any side effects or treatment-related problems so they can adjust your treatment if necessary.
FAQs
What is chemotherapy for cancer? Chemotherapy is a treatment that uses drugs to kill cancer cells, prevent them from spreading, or slow their growth.
How does chemotherapy work? Chemotherapy drugs travel through the bloodstream, targeting and destroying fast-growing cancer cells.
What are the common side effects of chemotherapy? Common side effects include hair loss, fatigue, nausea, and low blood cell counts, but many subside after treatment.
Is chemotherapy painful? Chemotherapy is usually painless, though some patients may experience discomfort from side effects.
Can chemotherapy cure cancer?
Chemotherapy can effectively treat or manage cancer, sometimes leading to remission, but it depends on the cancer type and stage.
