Over the long term, cancers are usually treated with chemotherapy (chemo) in 1 of 2 ways. Chemo is given on a regular schedule to keep the cancer under control. This is also called maintenance chemo.
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How long do people live after chemotherapy?
Feb 24, 2022 · Heart Damage. Chemotherapy can cause cardiac effects early in treatment, but in some cases, the effects may not show up until much later. One notable example is heart damage following treatment with Adriamycin (doxorubicin). With this drug, a possible long-term side effect is weakening of the heart muscle, resulting in heart failure (a ...
What are the long term effects of chemotherapy?
The length of chemotherapy treatment is determined by a variety of factors. These include the type of cancer, the extent of cancer, the types of drugs that are given, as well as the expected toxicities of the drugs and the amount of time necessary to recover from these toxicities. Many chemotherapy treatment schedules (including the type and length of chemotherapy treatment) …
How long does chemotherapy stay in your system?
Most are short-term. The side effects of chemotherapy can be unpleasant. But it can help to try to see the problems in relation to the benefits of the treatment. Chemotherapy does not cause side effects in everyone. It causes different reactions in different people. Remember - almost all side effects are temporary.
How long does it take chemotherapy to start working?
Chemotherapy and radiation therapy can cause long-term side effects to the brain, spinal cord, and nerves. These include: Hearing loss from high doses of chemotherapy, especially drugs like cisplatin (multiple brand names) Increased risk of stroke from high doses of radiation to the brain
What is long-term chemotherapy?
What does long-term chemotherapy do to you?
How long is the longest chemo treatment?
Can chemo be given long-term?
Can you be on chemo for years?
How many rounds of chemo is normal?
How many courses of chemo can a person have?
Which is harder on the body chemo or radiation?
How long can you live after chemo stops working?
What should you not do after chemo?
- Contact with body fluids after treatment. ...
- Overextending yourself. ...
- Infections. ...
- Large meals. ...
- Raw or undercooked foods. ...
- Hard, acidic, or spicy foods. ...
- Frequent or heavy alcohol consumption. ...
- Smoking.
Why is chemotherapy used?
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 cancer by killing some of the cancer cells.
Is chemotherapy good for cancer?
Though chemotherapy is an effective way to treat many types of cancer, chemotherapy treatment also carries a risk of side effects. Some chemotherapy side effects are mild and treatable, while others can cause serious complications.
What is the treatment for cancer?
Overview. 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. Many different chemotherapy drugs are available.
Can you use chemotherapy alone?
Chemotherapy drugs can be used alone or in combination to treat a wide variety of cancers. Though chemotherapy is an effective way to treat many types of cancer, chemotherapy treatment also carries a risk of side effects. Some chemotherapy side effects are mild and treatable, while others can cause serious complications.
What is the purpose of chemo?
Chemotherapy is used to kill cancer cells in people with cancer. There are a variety of settings in which chemotherapy may be used in people with cancer: To cure the cancer without other treatments. Chemotherapy can be used as the primary or sole treatment for cancer. After other treatments, to kill hidden cancer cells.
Can chemotherapy be used after surgery?
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.
What is adjuvant therapy?
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.
How long does chemotherapy last?
When cure is the treatment goal. Adjuvant chemotherapy (therapy after surgery has removed all visible cancer) may last 4-6 months. Adjuvant chemotherapy is common in cancers of the breast and colon. In cancers of the testis, Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and leukemias, length of chemotherapy treatment may be up to a year.
Can chemo be stopped?
If the disease grows , the chemotherapy will be stopped. Depending on the health and wishes of the patient, either different drugs will be given to try to kill the cancer, or chemotherapy will be stopped and the goal changed to focus on patient comfort.
How long does a drug last?
Treatment could last minutes, hours, or days, depending on the specific protocol.
Is chemotherapy long term?
There are very few long term side effects of chemotherapy. Most are short-term. The side effects of chemotherapy can be unpleasant. But it can help to try to see the problems in relation to the benefits of the treatment. Chemotherapy does not cause side effects in everyone. It causes different reactions in different people.
Does chemotherapy have side effects?
As with most drugs, chemotherapy drugs do have side effects. Side effects of chemotherapy are unwanted things that happen as a direct result of taking a drug. It is easy to confuse drug side effects with symptoms of cancer. Symptoms are the things that happen as a direct result of the cancer and have nothing to do with the drug.
Is chemotherapy bad for you?
Some side effects of chemotherapy are serious medical conditions that need to be treated. Some side effects are inconvenient or upsetting but are not damaging to your health. Discuss side effects with your health care team. If you are worried about a side effect call your doctor or the contact at the center where your treatment is being given ...
Does hair grow all the time?
Hair is growing all the time. The skin is constantly renewing itself. So are the lining of the mouth and digestive system. To do this, the cells of all these body tissues must constantly divide to produce a steady supply of new cells. And when cells are dividing, chemotherapy drugs can attack them. Although most anti-cancer drugs have side ...
What are the side effects of chemotherapy?
These include: Hearing loss from high doses of chemotherapy, especially drugs like cisplatin (multiple brand names) Increased risk of stroke from high doses of radiation to the brain. Nervous system side effects, including damage to the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord, called peripheral neuropathy.
What are the side effects of cancer treatment?
Talk with your doctor about any new symptoms or side effects that you experience. Fatigue. Fatigue is a constant feeling of physical, emotional, or mental tiredness. It is the most common side effect of cancer treatment. Some cancer survivors have fatigue for months or even years after finishing treatment.
How long after cancer treatment do side effects occur?
Many people who have had cancer treatment have a risk of developing long-term side effects. These side effects can happen months or years after treatment. Evaluating and treating late effects is an important part of cancer survivorship care.
Can cancer cause late effects?
Nearly any cancer treatment can cause late effects . And different treatments can cause different late effects. Below is a list of the more common late effects. Talk with your doctor about any concerns you have about a specific late effect.
Can cancer patients have dental problems?
Cancer survivors may have dental and oral health and vision problems, depending on the treatments they received: Chemotherapy may affect tooth enamel and increase the risk of long-term dental problems. High doses of radiation therapy to the head and neck area may change tooth development.
Why is the spleen important?
The spleen is a vital organ for the immune system. Removing it is linked with a higher risk of infections. Survivors of bone and soft-tissue cancers may have lost part or all of a limb. This can cause physical and emotional effects. One example is phantom limb pain.
What happens when you remove a limb?
Removing it is linked with a higher risk of infections. Survivors of bone and soft-tissue cancers may have lost part or all of a limb. This can cause physical and emotional effects. One example is phantom limb pain. This is feeling pain in the limb that was removed even though it is no longer there.
What is chemo therapy?
Chemotherapy (often abbreviated to chemo and sometimes CTX or CTx) is a type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs ( chemotherapeutic agents) as part of a standardized chemotherapy regimen. Chemotherapy may be given with a curative intent (which almost always involves combinations of drugs), ...
Is chemotherapy effective for cancer?
Efficiency. The efficiency of chemotherapy depends on the type of cancer and the stage. The overall effectiveness ranges from being curative for some cancers, such as some leukemias, to being ineffective, such as in some brain tumors, to being needless in others, like most non-melanoma skin cancers.
What are the side effects of chemotherapy?
This results in the most common side-effects of chemotherapy: myelosuppression (decreased production of blood cells, hence also immunosuppression ), mucositis (inflammation of the lining of the digestive tract), and alopecia (hair loss).
What is the purpose of chemotherapy?
Chemotherapy may be given with a curative intent or it may aim to prolong life or to palliate symptoms . Induction chemotherapy is the first line treatment of cancer with a chemotherapeutic drug. This type of chemotherapy is used for curative intent.
What are the advantages of neoadjuvant chemotherapy?
The biggest advantage is minimising the chances of resistance developing to any one agent. Also, the drugs can often be used at lower doses, reducing toxicity. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is given prior to a local treatment such as surgery, and is designed to shrink the primary tumor.
Is palliative chemotherapy curative?
Salvage chemotherapy or palliative chemotherapy is given without curative intent, but simply to decrease tumor load and increase life expectancy. For these regimens, in general, a better toxicity profile is expected. All chemotherapy regimens require that the recipient be capable of undergoing the treatment.
Can you give chemotherapy orally?
Most chemotherapy is delivered intravenously, although a number of agents can be administered orally (e.g., melphalan, busulfan, capecitabine ). According to a recent (2016) systematic review, oral therapies present additional challenges for patients and care teams to maintain and support adherence to treatment plans.
What are the side effects of cancer?
Childhood cancer survivors experience some of these late side effects: 1 Heart problems, including an increased risk of heart attacks 2 Blood vessel problems, including an increased risk of stroke 3 Lung problems, which can cause difficulty breathing 4 Liver problems 5 Kidney problems 6 Cataracts 7 Bone problems, such as bone thinning (osteoporosis) and joint pain 8 Short stature, caused by slow bone growth 9 Obesity 10 Infertility 11 Memory problems and learning disabilities 12 Vision loss 13 Hearing loss 14 Thyroid problems 15 Increased risk of other types of cancers 16 Nerve damage
Can chemotherapy cause infertility?
Different chemotherapy drugs cause different late effects. So if you didn't take the chemotherapy drugs that can cause infertility, then you aren't believed to be at risk of that particular late effect. Late effects of radiation and surgery will affect only the area of the body exposed to them.
Is cancer over?
Your cancer treatment is over, but the treatments that may have saved your life may also continue to cause side effects . As more people are living longer after cancer treatment, more is becoming known about late side effects of cancer treatment. Find out all you can about late effects of cancer treatment, and use this information ...
Can cancer affect children?
If you underwent cancer treatment as a child, you may be at risk of many of the same late side effects of treatment as people who were adults during their cancer treatments. But you may also be at risk of additional late side effects. That's because children's bones, tissues and organs are growing rapidly during treatment, ...
How to get rid of cancer?
Exercising and eating a healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables can help make you stronger and healthier. Avoiding tobacco, excessive alcohol use and prolonged sun exposure also are very helpful. Long-term side effects of cancer treatment.
How to get stronger and healthier?
Exercising and eating a healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables can help make you stronger and healthier. Avoiding tobacco, excessive alcohol use and prolonged sun exposure also are very helpful. Oct. 06, 2020. Show references. Long-term side effects of cancer treatment.
What are the side effects of chemo?
Certain chemo drugs can damage cells in your heart. Chemotherapy may also increase your odds of having heart problems, such as: 1 Weakening of the heart muscle ( cardiomyopathy) 2 Problems with your heart rhythm ( arrhythmia) 3 Heart attack
Can chemotherapy make you tired?
But some people still feel extremely tired after treatment ends. You may find that even when you get enough rest, you still feel sluggish. Talk to your doctor for suggestions on how to raise your energy level. Chemotherapy can affect your ability to have children, whether you're a man or woman.
Does chemotherapy affect fertility?
For both men and women, chemotherapy's effect on fertility depends on a number of things, including the type of drugs you used and the dose. The higher the dose of chemo, the more likely it is to have an impact. If you're having long-term effects from chemo, talk to your doctor to get tips on how to manage them.
Does chemo cause heart problems?
Heart. Certain chemo drugs can damage cells in your heart. Chemotherapy may also increase your odds of having heart problems, such as: Weakening of the heart muscle ( cardiomyopathy) Problems with your heart rhythm ( arrhythmia) Heart attack.
How long does it take for hair to grow back after chemo?
If you lose some or all of your hair after chemo, it will typically start to grow back in a month or two. But it's possible that at first it may not look like it used to. Its texture, shape, and color may be different.
Does chemo make hair grow back?
Its texture, shape, and color may be different. Over time, as the effects of the chemo on your hair follicles wear off, your hair will probably go back to the way it was before treatment. In rare cases, such as after years of strong chemotherapy, your hair follicles could shut down. This can prevent new hair from growing, ...
How to lose weight after chemo?
Work with a dietitian or nutritionist and add strength training exercises to your workout routine to help you shed some pounds. Energy. You probably remember the fatigue that hit you while you were getting chemo. But some people still feel extremely tired after treatment ends.
What is maintenance therapy?
Maintenance therapy is the treatment of cancer with medication, typically following an initial round of treatment. Maintenance treatment may include chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, or targeted therapy. Maintenance therapy is used for the following reasons:
What is partial remission?
“Complete remission” means that the doctors cannot find cancer and you have no symptoms. To slow the growth of advanced cancer after the initial treatment. This can help shrink the cancer, which is called a partial remission.
Why is chemotherapy used for cancer?
Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to target and destroy fast-growing cells in the body. Cancer cells grow and multiply faster than healthy cells , which is why chemotherapy is often used to treat cancer. Chemotherapy is typically recommended in two situations: to treat cancer and keep it from coming back.
What is the treatment for cancer?
FatCamera/Getty Images. There are many different types of treatment for cancer. Some are curative, while some are palliative. Palliative care is treatment used to provide symptom relief and improve quality of life. It’s not used to cure an illness.
Is palliative care a cure?
Palliative care is treatment used to provide symptom relief and improve quality of life. It’s not used to cure an illness. While palliative care is often thought of as part of end-of-life care, it can also be used alongside curative treatment and at any time during an illness. In cancer care, palliative chemotherapy may be part of your treatment.
What is palliative care?
Palliative care is treatment used to provide symptom relief and improve quality of life. It’s not used to cure an illness. While palliative care is often thought of as part of end-of-life care, it can also be used alongside curative treatment and at any time during an illness.
Is palliative care part of cancer treatment?
While palliative care is often thought of as part of end-of-life care, it can also be used alongside curative treatment and at any time during an illness. In cancer care, palliative chemotherapy may be part of your treatment. The goals of palliative chemotherapy look different from that of chemotherapy meant to cure someone of their cancer.
When is palliative chemotherapy used?
Palliative chemotherapy is typically used when the cancer has spread and chemotherapy is not being used to cure the cancer. The main goal of palliative treatment is to improve quality of life. By its very definition. in the medical field, it is not curative.
Does palliative chemotherapy help with cancer?
Breast cancer. In people with breast cancer, palliative chemotherapy can help improve quality of life and fatigue. More research needs to be done to explore the potential benefits of palliative chemotherapy for people with other forms of cancer.
Overview
- 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. Many different chemotherapy drugs are available. Chemotherapy drugs can be used alone or in combination to treat a...
Why It's Done
- Chemotherapy is used to kill cancer cells in people with cancer. There are a variety of settings in which chemotherapy may be used in people with cancer: 1. To cure the cancer without other treatments.Chemotherapy can be used as the primary or sole treatment for cancer. 2. After other treatments, to kill hidden cancer cells.Chemotherapy can be used after other treatments, such a…
Risks
- Side effects of chemotherapy drugs can be significant. Each drug has different side effects, and not every drug causes every side effect. Ask your doctor about the side effects of the particular drugs you'll receive.
How You Prepare
- 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: 1. Have a device surgically inserted before intravenous chemotherapy.If you'll be receiving your chemotherapy intravenously — into a vein — your docto…
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: 1. Type of cancer 2. Stage of cancer 3. Overall health 4. Previous cancer treatments 5. Your goals and preferences Discuss your treatment options with your doctor. Together you can decide what… - How chemotherapy drugs are given
Chemotherapy drugs can be given in different ways, including: 1. Chemotherapy infusions.Chemotherapy is most often given as an infusion into a vein (intravenously). The drugs can be given by inserting a tube with a needle into a vein in your arm or into a device in a vein in …
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. Depending on your situation, you may also undergo scans and other tests to monitor your cancer during chemotherapy treatment. These tests can give your doctor an idea of how your cancer is …
Clinical Trials
- Explore Mayo Clinic studiesof tests and procedures to help prevent, detect, treat or manage conditions.