What diseases are treated with chemotherapy?
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What are the advantages and disadvantages of chemotherapy?
Their advantages are as follows:
- Convenience and ease of administration - as oral is easier and less painless than administration of medication by injections.
- Less hospital visits as oral medications can be taken at home
- One does not require admission to hospital - so overall less cost to the patient.
- Easier dose modifications . ...
What is chemotherapy and what does it do?
Chemotherapy is the use of chemical drugs to treat cancer in humans and animals. It is rarely used by itself and is typically combined with surgery, immunotherapy and radiotherapy. While chemotherapy is a highly effective treatment for many cancers, it can be improved.
What to expect when having chemotherapy?
blood tests to check how well your kidneys and liver are working and the number of blood cells. x-rays and scans to check that you are fit for treatment and see how the tumour is responding to treatment. For some chemotherapy drugs you may also have: heart monitoring tests to see if the drugs are affecting your heart.
What conditions are treated with 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. Many different chemotherapy drugs are available.
At what stage of cancer is chemotherapy used?
Usually, chemotherapy may be used for all stages in most cancer types. Chemotherapy is a type of medicine or combination of medications that is used to treat or kill cancer cells. Adjuvant therapy: Chemotherapy may be used after surgery to reduce the risk of cancer recurrence (coming back).
What is chemotherapy used for other than cancer?
Chemotherapy can be used to: Prepare for a bone marrow stem cell transplant if you have a bone marrow disease. Treat an overactive immune system -- your body's defense against germs -- in diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
Is chemotherapy painful?
Does chemotherapy hurt? IV chemotherapy should not cause any pain while being administered. If you experience pain, contact the nurse taking care of you to check your IV line. An exception would be if there is a leak and the drug gets into surrounding tissues.
Can cancer still spread while on chemo?
While chemotherapy is one of the oldest and most successful ways of treating cancer, it doesn't always work. So, yes, cancer can spread during chemotherapy. Spreading could mean the tumor keeps growing, or that the original tumor shrinks, but cancer metastasizes, forming tumors in other areas of the body.
How long can chemo extend life?
First-line chemotherapy for patients with non–small cell lung cancer improves survival by 2 to 3 months, relieves symptoms, and improves quality of life compared with best supportive care.
How long does a chemo treatment take?
In general, chemotherapy can take about 3 to 6 months to complete. It may take more or less time, depending on the type of chemo and the stage of your condition. It's also broken down into cycles, which last 2 to 6 weeks each.
What is the success rate of chemotherapy?
Around 13% of lung cancers are small-cell. Most people with this type receive chemotherapy. Approximately 83% of lung cancers are N-SC....Lung cancer.N-SC lung cancer stageSurgery plus chemo and/or radiotherapy16%7%Chemo alone1%18%Chemo plus radiotherapy without surgery6%35%Total24%60%1 more row
Does Stage 1 cancer require chemo?
Chemotherapy is usually not part of the treatment regimen for earlier stages of cancer. Stage 1 is highly treatable, however, it does require treatment, typically surgery and often radiation, or a combination of the two.
Does Stage 2 cancer need chemo?
In general, stage 2 cancers tend to be treated locally with surgery and/or radiation. At times, chemotherapy or other drug therapies may also be a part of stage 2 cancer treatment. Below, find stage 2 cancer treatment options for the five most common cancers.
Does Stage 3 cancer need chemo?
In general, regimens for stage 3 cancers typically start with either surgery or treatment to shrink the tumor before surgery, such as chemotherapy, radiation, or a combination of both. Stage 3 breast cancer treatment: The first step is typically either chemotherapy or surgery.
How soon do you start chemo after diagnosis?
Most people want to start treatment right away. They worry that the extra time taken to do tests or make decisions will take up precious time that could be spent fighting the cancer. Cancer treatment should start very soon after diagnosis, but for most cancers, it won't hurt to wait a few weeks to begin treatment.
What is chemo used for?
Besides treatment for cancer, chemotherapy may be used to prepare people with bone marrow diseases for a bone marrow stem cell treatment, and it may be used for immune system disorders.
What is the purpose of chemo?
Chemotherapy is designed to kill cells that divide quickly. While cancer cells are the kind that divide quickly, other cells in your body do this, as well. Cells in the following areas can be adversely affected by chemotherapy: blood. hair.
What is the treatment for cancer called?
What is chemotherapy? Chemotherapy is an aggressive form of chemical drug therapy meant to destroy rapidly growing cells in the body. It’s usually used to treat cancer, as cancer cells grow and divide faster than other cells. A doctor who specializes in cancer treatment is known as an oncologist.
Why do you need chemotherapy for breast cancer?
If you’ve undergone surgery to remove a cancerous tumor, such as a lumpectomy for breast cancer, your oncologist may recommend chemotherapy to ensure that any lingering cancer cells are killed, as well. Chemotherapy is also used to prepare you for other treatments.
How is chemo given?
Chemotherapy is typically given in pill form or directly into veins by injection or an IV. In addition to these two forms, chemotherapy may also be administered in several other ways.
How to prepare for chemo?
Consider these preparation tips for chemotherapy treatment: Make arrangements for work. Most people can work during chemotherapy, but you may want to be put on a lighter workload until you know what types of side effects you may be experiencing. Prepare your house.
Where do you put a port for chemo?
A port is a device that’s implanted in your body, typically in your chest near your shoulder. This allows for easier access to your veins and is less painful. During each treatment, the IV will be inserted into your port.
How does chemotherapy work?
Chemotherapy works by stopping or slowing the growth of cancer cells, which grow and divide quickly. Chemotherapy is used to: Chemotherapy can be used to cure cancer, lessen the chance it will return, or stop or slow its growth. Chemotherapy can be used to shrink tumors that are causing pain and other problems.
What is the treatment for cancer?
Who Receives Chemotherapy . Chemotherapy is used to treat many types of cancer. For some people, chemotherapy may be the only treatment you receive. But most often, you will have chemotherapy and other cancer treatments.
What is the term for a tumor that is smaller before surgery?
Make a tumor smaller before surgery or radiation therapy. This is called neoadjuvant chemotherapy . Destroy cancer cells that may remain after treatment with surgery or radiation therapy. This is called adjuvant chemotherapy. Help other treatments work better.
How long can a catheter be left in place for chemo?
This needle can be left in place for chemotherapy treatments that are given for longer than one day. Be sure to watch for signs of infection around your port.
How does chemo work?
Chemotherapy to Treat Cancer. Chemotherapy works against cancer by killing fast-growing cancer cells. Chemotherapy (also called chemo) is a type of cancer treatment that uses drugs to kill cancer cells.
Where do you put a catheter in a chemo patient?
A catheter is a thin, soft tube. A doctor or nurse places one end of the catheter in a large vein, often in your chest area. The other end of the catheter stays outside your body. Most catheters stay in place until you have finished your chemotherapy treatments.
How long is a cycle of chemotherapy?
For instance, you might receive chemotherapy every day for 1 week followed by 3 weeks with no chemotherapy. These 4 weeks make up one cycle. The rest period gives your body a chance to recover and build new healthy cells.
What is the purpose of chemotherapy?
Chemotherapy is used for a variety of purposes: To cure a specific cancer; To control tumor growth when cure is not possible; To shrink tumors before surgery or radiation therapy; To relieve symptoms (such as pain ); and. To destroy microscopic cancer cells that may be present after the known tumor is removed by surgery (called adjuvant therapy).
What is the term for chemo that kills cancer cells?
Since then, in the attempt to discover what is effective in chemotherapy , many new drugs have been developed and tried. Sometimes referred to simply as "chemo", chemotherapy is used most often to describe drugs that kill cancer cells directly. These are sometimes referred to as "anti-cancer" drugs or "antineoplastics.".
When did chemotherapy start?
However, chemotherapy for the treatment of cancer began in the 1940s with the use of nitrogen mustard.
What is chemo used for?
More often, chemo is used with surgery or radiation therapy or both. And it's sometimes used with other drugs, such as targeted therapy, hormone therapy, or immunotherapy. For example, chemo may be used... To shrink a tumor before surgery or radiation therapy. Chemo used in this way is called neoadjuvant therapy.
Why do people need chemo?
When the cancer is at an advanced stage, probably cannot be controlled, and has spread, the goal of giving chemo may be to improve the quality of life or help the person feel better. For instance, chemo may be used to help shrink a tumor that’s causing pain or pressure so the patient feels better and has less pain.
How often is chemo given?
Chemotherapy is commonly given at regular intervals called cycles. A cycle may be a dose of one or more drugs on one or more days, followed by several days or weeks without treatment. This gives normal cells time to recover from drug side effects. Sometimes, doses may be given a certain number of days in a row, or every other day for several days, followed by a period of rest. Some drugs work best when given continuously over a set number of days.
What is the term for the use of drugs to treat cancer?
Chemotherapy refers to the use of any drug to treat any disease. But to most people, the word chemotherapy ( or "chemo") means drugs used for cancer treatment. It's important to know that not all medicines and drugs to treat cancer work the same way. It used to be that the only kind of drug that could treat cancer was traditional or standard chemo, ...
What is the term for the process of shrinking a tumor?
To shrink a tumor before surgery or radiation therapy. Chemo used in this way is called neoadjuvant therapy . After surgery or radiation therapy to help kill any remaining cancer cells in the body. Chemo used in this way is called adjuvant therapy.
What is radiation therapy?
Surgery removes a tumor from a part of the body where cancer has been found, and radiation therapy is aimed at a certain area of the body to kill or damage cancer cells. Treatments like these are called local treatments because they affect one part of the body.
Can chemo help with cancer?
In these cases, chemo is used to shrink tumors and/or stop the cancer from growing and spreading. This can help the person with cancer feel better and live longer.
What is chemotherapy?
Chemotherapy (chemo) is the use of strong medicines to treat cancer. It has been used for many years and is one of the most common treatments for cancer. In most cases, chemo damages the cancer cell's ability to grow and spread. Different groups of medicines work in different ways to fight cancer.
What are some common chemo side effects?
Many different kinds of chemo medicines are used to treat cancer. Nearly all of them cause side effects.
Working with your healthcare provider
It's important to know which medicines you're taking. Write your medicines down. Ask your healthcare team how each medicine works and what side effects each medicine might have—both short-term and long-term. Talk about the goal of your chemo treatment. Your cancer care team is the best place to get information.
What is chemotherapy treatment?
Also called “chemo,” it’s one of several cancer treatments that use drugs against various types of cancer. Other drug therapies include: Hormone therapy, or drugs that prevent certain cancers from getting the hormones they need to grow.
How is chemotherapy used?
Chemotherapy is used in different ways: Adjuvant therapy: Chemotherapy destroys cancer cells after surgery or radiation therapy. Curative therapy: Chemotherapy is the only treatment. It cures the cancer. Neoadjuvant therapy: Chemotherapy shrinks a tumor before surgery or radiation therapy.
What is the treatment for cancer?
Chemotherapy . Chemotherapy is a common treatment for cancer. It uses drugs to destroy cancer cells. It may get paired with other cancer treatments such as radiation therapy or surgery. Chemotherapy is usually given intravenously (through a vein).
What is the most common cancer treatment?
Chemotherapy is one of the most common types of cancer treatment. Chemotherapy can work on its own or get paired with other treatments like radiation therapy or surgery. The type of chemotherapy you receive will depend on the location and stage of the cancer, as well as your overall health.
How long does chemo last?
The length of a chemotherapy treatment depends on the type of chemo you receive. It can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. Some people need a continuous infusion, which can last several days. A continuous infusion might get started at the hospital or infusion center and continued at home.
What type of cancer can chemo treat?
What types of cancer can chemotherapy treat? Chemotherapy can treat a wide range of cancers, including: Primary cancer, or cancer that has not spread to other areas of the body. Metastatic cancer, or cancer that has spread to other areas of the body.
How does chemo work?
Systemic chemo can get delivered: As an injection, or a shot. Intravenously, or through a vein as an “ infusion.”. Orally, as a pill or liquid that you swallow. Topically, as a cream that you rub into your skin.
What is chemo therapy?
Chemotherapy ("Chemo") uses drugs to destroy cancer cells. Learn more about how it works, what to expect during treatment, common side effects, and other FAQs. Skip to main content . Check Your Symptoms . Find A Doctor .
What is the goal of chemo?
The goal of treatment: cure, control growth, or ease pain. The type of chemotherapy. The way your body responds to the treatment. You may have chemotherapy in “cycles,” which means a period of treatment and then a period of rest. For example, a 4-week cycle may be 1 week of treatment and then 3 weeks of rest.
How does chemo work?
Also called “chemo,” it’s a way to treat cancerthat uses drugsto kill cancercells. How does chemotherapy work? It targets cells that grow and divide quickly, as cancercells do. Unlike radiation or surgery, which target specific areas, chemo can work throughout your body.
How is chemotherapy delivered?
It may be delivered by a special machine that bombards parts of your body from the outside, or by putting radioactive material on, near, and even inside your body. Biological therapy:Living material in the form of bacteria, vaccines, or antibodiesare carefully introduced to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy may be used to:
What is the term for shrinking a tumor?
Chemotherapy may be used to: Shrink a tumor before radiation therapy or surgery -- called neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Destroy any remaining cancer cells after surgery or radiation therapy -- called adjuvant chemotherapy. Make other therapies (biological or radiation) more effective.
What is the treatment for cancer?
Sometimes, it treats cancer by itself, but more often it’s used in combination with: Surgery:A doctor removes cancerous tumors or tissue, or organs contaminated with cancerous cells. Radiation therapy: A doctor uses invisible radioactive particles to kill cancer cells.
Where is chemo injected?
Intrathecal(IT) chemotherapy:Medicine is injected into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which is found in the area surrounding the spinal cord and the brain. Intravenous (IV):The chemotherapy goes directly into a vein.
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 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).
Why do cancer cells have resistance to chemotherapy?
Resistance is a major cause of treatment failure in chemotherapeutic drugs. There are a few possible causes of resistance in cancer, one of which is the presence of small pumps on the surface of cancer cells that actively move chemotherapy from inside the cell to the outside. Cancer cells produce high amounts of these pumps, known as p-glycoprotein, in order to protect themselves from chemotherapeutics. Research on p-glycoprotein and other such chemotherapy efflux pumps is currently ongoing. Medications to inhibit the function of p-glycoprotein are undergoing investigation, but due to toxicities and interactions with anti-cancer drugs their development has been difficult. Another mechanism of resistance is gene amplification, a process in which multiple copies of a gene are produced by cancer cells. This overcomes the effect of drugs that reduce the expression of genes involved in replication. With more copies of the gene, the drug can not prevent all expression of the gene and therefore the cell can restore its proliferative ability. Cancer cells can also cause defects in the cellular pathways of apoptosis (programmed cell death). As most chemotherapy drugs kill cancer cells in this manner, defective apoptosis allows survival of these cells, making them resistant. Many chemotherapy drugs also cause DNA damage, which can be repaired by enzymes in the cell that carry out DNA repair. Upregulation of these genes can overcome the DNA damage and prevent the induction of apoptosis. Mutations in genes that produce drug target proteins, such as tubulin, can occur which prevent the drugs from binding to the protein, leading to resistance to these types of drugs. Drugs used in chemotherapy can induce cell stress, which can kill a cancer cell; however, under certain conditions, cells stress can induce changes in gene expression that enables resistance to several types of drugs. In lung cancer, the transcription factor NFκB is thought to play a role in resistance to chemotherapy, via inflammatory pathways.
What is maintenance chemo?
Maintenance chemotherapy is a repeated low-dose treatment to prolong remission. 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.
Why do we need to repeat chemo?
Because only a fraction of the cells in a tumor die with each treatment ( fractional kill ), repeated doses must be administered to continue to reduce the size of the tumor. Current chemotherapy regimens apply drug treatment in cycles, with the frequency and duration of treatments limited by toxicity.
How long does it take for chemo to cause side effects?
Chemotherapy-related toxicities can occur acutely after administration, within hours or days, or chronically, from weeks to years .
When is adjuvant chemotherapy given?
Adjuvant chemotherapy is given after a local treatment (radiotherapy or surgery). It can be used when there is little evidence of cancer present, but there is risk of recurrence. It is also useful in killing any cancerous cells that have spread to other parts of the body.
Why do doctors prescribe chemo cream?
A doctor may prescribe the cream to prevent certain lesions from becoming cancerous. The cream can also treat superficial types of skin cancer. In some cases, a doctor may recommend using chemotherapy cream along with other treatments, such as surgery, to cure cancer and prevent it from coming back. .
What is chemo cream?
Chemotherapy cream is a topical ointment or cream that a person applies to the skin. Doctors commonly prescribe a drug called 5-fluorouracil (5FU). It works by killing fast growing skin cells, including cancer cells and cells that are dividing so quickly that they may become cancer. Some brand names for fluorouracil cream include:
What is the treatment for squamous cell skin cancer?
Carac. Tolak. Topical chemotherapy penetrates the outer layers of the skin. Doctors usually prescribe it to treat precancerous conditions, such as actinic keratosis. A person may also use topical chemotherapy for early stage basal and squamous cell skin cancers.
Why is chemo cream better than oral?
Because the body is less able to absorb the cream into the deep layers of the skin, it typically causes fewer side effects than oral or intravenous chemotherapy. This may make chemotherapy cream a suitable choice for early stage skin cancers and precancers.
What are some alternative treatments for cancer?
Some alternative treatments include: surgery to remove skin cancer or precancerous cells. immunotherapy, which is a type of treatment that trains the body’s immune system to fight cancer. targeted medications that kill specific cancer cells. chemotherapy . radiation therapy.
Which cancer has the highest cure rate?
Keratoacanthoma, which is a type of squamous cell carcinoma, had the highest cure rate with chemotherapy cream. Methotrexate cured 91% of cancers, compared with a higher cure rate of 98% for 5FU cream.
Does chemotherapy cream reduce the risk of squamous cell carcinoma?
in the risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma in the first year following treatment with chemotherapy cream. Although there was a slight reduction in the risk of basal cell carcinoma, the reduction was not statistically significant.
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 othe…
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.